Turn up the Faders
by heartandy112
Summary: OE - read and find out. Chapter 20 just posted. Please read and review! And no, it's not done yet!
1. Thoughts

It was late one night, or rather early in the morning. 2 o'clock to be exact. The SVU precinct had just closed the rape case that they had been working hard on for the past month. Olivia had gone back through the evidence thousands of times; and had finally found their missing link. She and Elliot had arrested the victim's poolboy that afternoon, and had charged him with the rape and murder of the girl. The detectives hadn't gotten very much sleep in that time period; and they had barely left the station, except to go talk to people and gather evidence.

The detectives gathered up their things and left the precinct together. Munch and Fin took a left after exiting the building, and Olivia and Elliot took a right. They talked and laughed for the first time in a month as Elliot waited with her for her cab.

As her cab pulled up, Elliot gave Olivia a hug, and whispered in her ear, "Congratulations Liv. You did good."

Olivia smiled. "Thanks Elliot," she said as she got into the cab, "I couldn't have done it without you. See you in a few hours."

Elliot waved to her as the cab pulled off into the night. He walked over to his own car, got in and drove home. By the time he entered his house, it was already 3 o'clock, and he found his wife sitting at the kitchen table waiting for him.

"I heard you caught the guy," she said, not making eye contact with him, but looking in his general direction.

Elliot nodded. "Liv caught him," he corrected her.

Kathy waved her hand in front of her face, signifying that she didn't care. "Whatever. It doesn't matter," she replied.

Elliot put his hands on the table and looked her in the eyes. "Yes, it does matter Kathy. Liv is a good cop. She deserves credit for getting this bastard off the streets. If it wasn't for her; he'd still be wandering out there, waiting to make his next move," Elliot shot back frostily.

Kathy glared at him and started to walk up the stairs. "Goodnight," she said with an air of finality.

Elliot rubbed his face and sighed. He walked into the guest bedroom, which he had been sleeping in for the past few months. Things between him and Kathy hadn't been going very smooth lately. After they got this last case; he had been coming home later and later. Kathy would wait up for him every night, questioning him on where he had been. She accused him of sleeping with hookers, going out for beers after work; anything except coming home. He tried to tell her about this case, and how hard it was. He tried to tell her that he was faithful to her, which he was. She wouldn't listen to him. So they had agreed to disagree, for the children's sake, and Kathy kicked him out of the bedroom.

The children knew something wasn't right, but never mentioned it to their parents. Of course they heard the shouting at night. Of course they knew that Elliot wasn't sleeping with hookers or going out for beers after work. They knew how important his job was to him, and to the community. They were just happy that he stayed safe, and kept others safe too.

Elliot settled into the bed and began to think. He thought about the case, about his children, about his wife, about Olivia. She knew something was wrong with him, but she didn't push him to tell her. He didn't want to burden her with his troubles on top of her own. He sighed. How could things go so wrong, but yet go so right?

Olivia paced around her house, not able to sleep. She was glad she had found the killer, but blamed herself for not being able to stop all of the other crimes that were going to be committed the next day; the next month; the next year. She walked over to her refrigerator and took out a beer. She sat down on her bed and drank it. One of her weaknesses was using liquor as a tourniquet; trying to drown all of her pain. She thought about Elliot. She knew he was hurting; that something was bothering him, but he wouldn't tell her what it was. And she didn't want to push him; to make him hurt more. She felt so helpless. She couldn't help the victims whose cases she investigated, and she couldn't help Elliot. She sighed, and finished her third beer. She knew she would regret this tomorrow, but she didn't care. She clumsily put the bottle on her bedside table, and fell asleep, drunk.


	2. AN The Lyrics

**Turn up the Faders **

Light strikes the suburbs in the summer,  
Water trickles and runs down the faces of children,  
Laughter echoes rising  
As they slip between the sprinklers.  
Faces eager for no reason,  
Is it the season, is that it?  
This used to be enough for me but now it isn't,  
I need some different entertainment.

So we take the A-Train into the city,  
Stick seats shake at the station,  
Pretty women's footsteps drag them disappearing,  
From the cave of the tunnel dragon,  
Into the open high-rises, skyscrapers,  
Street urchins come to siege us,  
Corner preachers carry Jesus,  
Like he carried the cross, toss leaflets.  
All this misdirected lust,  
All these, all these, all these people,  
As dusk turns into evening,  
We just get funneled to the clubs.

So come on turn up the faders,  
Sooner or later bring the beat in,  
I need it, I wanna feel lit,  
Like a fetus feels the heartbeat  
Of his mother when he's sleeping,  
Beating constantly,  
You are encouraged to dance emphatically,  
Manically, even desperately,  
Cause who knows where this is heading?  
I'm in the backroom, drunk,  
The stars cut chunks out of the darkness.  
It's a portrait of the young artist,  
As another target market,  
Playing dumb in the club,  
And using liquor as a tourniquet,  
Lets succumb to our desires,  
Or we'll become just like our fathers,  
Bang into each other  
Until the lights smother us  
And we go under.

Outside is a storm, it feels like a set,  
It feels so unreal.

Turn up the faders,  
Sooner or later bring the beat in,  
I need it, I wanna feel it,  
I'm in the bathroom, drunk,  
The months cut chunks out of the summer,  
Days get longer, minutes get faster,  
I get older, the weather gets colder,  
They might sleep out in the suburbs,  
But not here, not here,  
Come on turn up the faders,  
Sooner or later bring the beat in,  
I need it, I wanna feel it, I wanna feel it.

All my friends hold their glasses,  
Roses by the stem,  
Lean in like trees blown by wind in a garden,  
Fall and play jester, at the feet of dark-eyed women,  
Whose every hidden glance,  
Holds a chance at new beginnings,  
Here's to all the new beginnings,  
We never got back from.  
Never go home,  
Never go home,  
Never go home alone.


	3. Another Day of Work

Olivia woke up late the next morning with a pounding headache. She groaned as she rolled out of bed. She looked at the clock, and realized she had no time for a shower. She pulled on some clothes, grabbed her things and hailed a cab to the precinct.

Elliot sat at his desk waiting for Olivia. The captain had already assigned them their first case, and Elliot was ready to go. Olivia, on the other hand, was no where to be seen. Elliot called her cell phone, but got her voice mail. He walked out of the precinct, and bought two black coffees. He was opening his car door to get and wait for Olivia, when her cab pulled up and she hurried out.

Elliot called her over, and they got into the car. He handed her a coffee and smiled at her. "You okay Liv?" Elliot asked, concerned.

Olivia glared at him. "Yeah," she said, not wanting to talk about it.

Elliot nodded. "You sure Liv, you don't look to good?" Elliot asked again.

Olivia sighed and turned to look out her window. "I've got a hangover okay Elliot? I feel like shit. Now can we just get going?" She asked, sounding tired.

Elliot reached over and patted her shoulder. "Sure. Okay. We've got a 31 year old male, shot and left for dead by the harbor. He was stripped naked, which was how some homeless man found him. He's in New York Hospital now, a concussion, two broken legs, and who knows what else."

They spent the rest of their day at the hospital interviewing the victim, and at the precinct.

At 10 o'clock, Elliot's cell phone rang. "Hello?" He answered.

He sighed. "Yes Kathy, we're just packing up now. I'll be home soon okay?" He paused. "Yes Kathy, I'll leave now!" He said as he hung up the phone. He looked at Olivia and smiled.

"Sorry about that," he said, with a sad smile.

Olivia nodded. "That's okay. I guess it's our cue to pack it up and go home."

Elliot agreed. They packed up their stuff and walked out the door. "You need a ride Liv?" Elliot asked politely.

Olivia shook her head. "I'll walk tonight," she said.

Elliot nodded, said goodbye, and drove home.

Olivia walked home and thought about Elliot some more. She felt really bad for him. Obviously his troubles were with his marriage, and she didn't know how to help him. Before she knew it, she had arrived outside her apartment building. As she began to unlock the front door to the building, she heard a voice calling her name.

"Olivia…Olivia…" the voice called.

Olivia stopped and turned around, to see a shadow standing out of the reach of the streetlight. She walked down the stairs, and up to the figure whose features were shadowed.

"Yes? Can I help you?" Olivia asked.

"Yes. Yes you can," said the figure as it stepped out of the shadows and raised a gun to Olivia's chest.

Olivia gasped as she recognized the person.


	4. Responding to a Call

"Kathy," Olivia gasped as she recognized the figure.

Kathy laughed. "Very good Olivia."

Olivia took a step away from Kathy. "Kathy, put the gun down. Let's talk about this. You don't want to do this. You don't want to hurt me."

Kathy looked Olivia straight in the eye. "I don't want to talk about this. And you're right, I don't want to hurt you. I want to kill you."

Olivia held up her hands as if in surrender. "No you don't Kathy. You know Elliot would be shattered. You couldn't. You wouldn't."

The mention of Elliot enraged Kathy. "Don't you dare talk about Elliot, whore! We'd still be happily married if it wasn't for you."

Olivia looked confused. "What are you talking about?" Olivia asked, not letting on that she was frightened.

"Don't act stupid Olivia. You're all Elliot talks about. It's obvious that you're sleeping with him, although I don't understand why," Kathy said before Olivia interrupted her.

"No Kathy. You're wrong. I've never slept with Elliot in my life. Elliot is faithful to you. He's a good man, he would never sleep with another woman," Olivia stated.

Kathy's finger raised to the trigger. "Don't you dare talk about MY HUSBAND! He's too good for you, you little whore! You ruined my marriage!"

With that, Kathy fired the gun twice. The bullets ripped through Olivia's chest and she fell to the ground bleeding. Kathy stared down at Olivia for a moment, before running off into the darkness.

A few minutes later, two cop cars pulled up infront of Olivia's building, and three officers raced to her side.

One of them took her pulse and called for an ambulance. One of them looked at Olivia for a second before recognizing her. "Hey...isn't this that SVU cop?" He asked his fellow officers.

They nodded. "Yeah. What's her name....Benson. That's it. We should probably call the sex cops in." The cop who recognized her called Cragen's office.

"Cragen," the captain answered as his phone rang.

"Captain Cragen, this is Officer Smith with NYPD. I'm sorry to have to tell you this, but we thought you should know. Your detective, Olivia Benson was shot a few minutes ago," the officer informed him.

"Oh my god," Cragen stated before rubbing his forehead and motioning into the bullpen for Munch and Fin to come into his office. "How is she?"

"She was shot twice in the chest, pulse is weak. I'm sorry sir, but they don't think she'll make it," Smith said.

Cragen hung up the phone. Fin and Munch stared at him.

"What's going on Cap'?" Fin asked, breaking the silence.

Cragen stood up from his desk, and walked out of his office, motioning for the two detectives to follow him.

"Where we going?" Munch asked, as he and Fin followed the captain out of the precint.

"Olivia's apartment. She was shot twice in the chest about 5 minutes ago. She's on her way to the hospital, but it doesn't look good. We're taking over the case. Apparently the neighbor got a good look at the shooter. Munch, call Elliot. Just tell him to meet us there," Cragen responded, visibly upset.

"Oh god..." Fin replied. "Who would want to do this to her?" He asked.

Munch turned around and called Elliot. After he shut his phone, and turned back around. "He'll meet us there."

The detectives drove to Olivia's apartment, and drove up at the same time as Elliot. By that time, the ambulance and all but one cop car had left. They had taped off the area where Olivia was shot, and Olivia's neighbor stood to one side talking with an officer.

Elliot jumped out of his car and ran over to Cragen. "What the hell happened?" Elliot asked, worried.

Cragen put his hand on Elliot's shoulder. "Olivia was shot Elliot," he finally told him.

"Oh my god..." Elliot said, upset. "How is she?"

The captain looked down at his feet. "They don't think she'll make it Elliot. I'm sorry."

Elliot's eyes filled with tears and he turned around for a few minutes, his hands stuffed in his pockets. When he turned back around, his eyes were stony, and his face was contorted. "I want in on this investigation," Elliot said.

Cragen was ready to tell him no, but stopped, and nodded. "Let's go question the neighbor. She witnessed the attack, and can identify the killer."

Elliot nodded and they walked over to the woman.

"I'm Captain Cragen, and this is Detective Stabler, we're with Special Victims Unit. Detective Staler is Olivia's partner," Cragen said introducing them.

The neighbor nodded. "I'm her neighbor, Eliza Kate Morton. I've lived next door to Olivia for 5 years. We're good friends, we go out to dinner at least once a week," she said, wiping her eyes with a tissue.

"Can you tell us what happened?" Cragen asked Eliza Kate.

"I think that Olivia came home, but I didn't see what happened until someone started yelling. I came to the window and saw Olivia standing there with a blonde woman who was pointing a gun at her. I ran over to the phone and called the police, and then ran back to the window when I heard two shots fired. I saw Olivia fall, and the blonde woman stood over her for a minutre before stuffing the gun in her pocket and running away," Eliza Kate said. "The police on the other end of the phone told me not to go downstairs, and that the police would arrive in a few minutes. They did."

Elliot who was taking notes during this raised his head. "Did you hear what the blonde woman was yelling about?" He asked her.

"The woman called Olivia a whore, accused her of sleeping with her husband. Olivia told her that she was wrong, that her husband was a good man, and had never betrayed his wife." Eliza Kate began crying again, and Cragen looked at Elliot.

"That you for your cooperation Miss Morton. Just one more question. Did the woman or Olivia mention any names?" Cragen asked, hoping they had.

Eliza Kate nodded. "Yes. Olivia called the blonde woman Kathy, and I heard them mention the name Elliot. I think they were referring to the blonde woman, Kathy's, husband," she said.

Elliot and Cragen looked at each other, and walked away. Elliot hung his head. "Oh god...it was Kathy."

Cragen shook his head. "Were you and Kathy having marriage problems Elliot?"

Elliot nodded. "I've been sleeping in the guest room for three months. We're talking about getting a divorce. Well, I guess now we are. God. I should have known she would have hurt her."

"How could you? You had no idea she would hurt Olivia. Why don't you go to the hospital, find out how Olivia's doing. I'll go with Munch and Fin to pick Kathy up. I'm sorry about this Elliot..." he patted Elliot on the back before walking over to Munch and Fin. "We're gooing over the Stabler residence. Mrs. Stabler is under arrest for the attempted murder of Olivia Benson," Cragen told them before getting into the car. Fin and Munch looked over at Elliot for a second before joining Cragen in the car and driving off.

Elliot stood there for a few more minutes before getting in his car and driving to the hospital.


	5. Telling Them

A/N: Yes, I did use some of my favorite characters from my other favorite show; Strong Medicine, in this chapter. Maybe they'll stay in it a little longer, who knows. Anyways, once again, I don't own anything except for Eliza Kate Morton. And this story line. That's all I have, so don't steal them from me. Or else…. I'll…I don't know. Just don't.

Hospital 

Elliot drove to the hospital, and got out of the car, running up to the front desk.

"I need to see Olivia Benson!" He said, out of breath.

The nurse eyed his carefully and pulled up Olivia's file on her computer. "If you aren't family, you aren't allowed in her room. What's your relation to her?"

Elliot's face fell. "She doesn't have any family," he told the nurse, disappointedly, "She was a child of rape, and her mother died a few years ago. I'm her partner, detective Elliot Stabler," he added, showing her his badge. He knew since he wasn't a family member, that he wouldn't be able to get into her hospital room, but maybe if he flashed his badge he might gain some sort of clearance.

"That's not necessary Mr. Stabler. It says here that you are Miss Benson's next of kin, so you are permitted to see her. She has just gotten out of surgery, and is recovering in the ICU. I'll page her doctor to have her come talk to you. She's in room 112," the nurse says as she hands him a plastic badge. "As long as you are wearing this, you are permitted to stay with Miss Benson after visiting hours," she added, as she turned around to help the next visitor.

Elliot put the badge on his jacket, and got on the elevator. He was surprised. Olivia hadn't told him that he was listed as her next of kin. "Why'd she put me down?" He wondered to himself, and shook his head. She was his best friend, and his partner. She had no family, so he convinced himself that she had no other choice but him.

He stepped off the elevator on the next floor and walked towards Olivia's room, which was right near the nurse's station. A tall, attractive, dark haired woman in a white lab coat stopped him.

"Are you Mr. Stabler?" She asked him, smiling as well.

Elliot nodded. The woman beckoned him into Olivia's room, which was empty as of yet.

"I'm Dr. Andy Campbell. We just finished up Olivia's surgery, and she's on her way down here," she told him, giving him a gentle smile.

"How is she?" Elliot asked, anxious. He stuffed his hands in his pockets and tapped his foot quietly and unconsciously.

"It's hard to tell right now. She's in a coma. We don't know how long she will be in it, probably until her injuries heal. One of the bullets pierced a main artery, but luckily we were able to repair her artery. The second bullet however, pierced her left lung. It filled up with blood, and blocked oxygen from entering her body, causing slight brain damage. Her lung almost collapsed after she arrived at the hospital, but luckily we caught it and kept her stable. Her pulse is still weak, and she's on oxygen. There's a large chance that she will be infected will pneumonia, so we will keep a close eye on her. I'll ask you to wear a mask and scrubs when you are in her room. Her immune system is very weak, and won't be able to fight of infection as well as normal. Mr. Stabler, I'm sure she will heal just fine, but it might take a while. What she needs right now is for you to be there with her. Some people believe that people in comas can hear people talking to them. I'd suggest you do that," Dr. Campbell said, patting his hand. "Don't worry, I'll take good care of her" Dr. Campbell looked out the door. "Here she comes now. Don't be alarmed, she looks very feeble and bruised up, and she has quite a few tubes attached to her," she added as Olivia was wheeled in.

Elliot gasped. There was Olivia, lying in bed. She looked so much smaller and weaker than he knew she was. She had an IV in her arm, and was hooked up to two machines. Elliot's eyes teared up. She looked so helpless to him, and he couldn't do anything to help her. He pulled up a chair next to her bed and took her hand. He stroked it gently, and started talking to her. "Olivia…Liv, it's me, Elliot. You really scared us. They didn't think that you'd make it, but I guess you showed them. Here you are, right here. You're not awake though. The doctor says it might be awhile before you come back to us. Liv, I'm so sorry. I had no idea that Kathy would try and kill you. I should have told you that we were having problems…I just had no idea. Why would she go after you? You've never done anything except be there for me," Elliot paused for a second and wiped a tear out of his eye. "Liv, I just want you to know. You're my best friend, and no one could ever replace you. No one." Elliot stopped and thought for a second before adding, "I love you Liv. I really do. I don't what I'd do without you. You have to come back, for me. For us." He sighed and rubbed his hand gently over her hair, stroking it softly. "I'll take care of you Liv, you just worry about getting better." He placed a kiss on her forehead and went out to call the captain and fill him in.

MEANWHILE

At the Stabler Residence

Fin, Munch, and Cragen had just pulled up at Elliot's house. They went up to the front door and rang the doorbell as two more back up cop cars pulled up. Kathy opened the door and smiled at the men, not knowing why they were there.

"Hello! How are you doing?" Kathy asked them, oblivious to their grim faces.

Cragen nodded, and Fin and Munch stepped forward to cuff Kathy.

"Kathy Stabler, you are under arrest for the attempted murder and assault of Olivia Benson. You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say or do can be used against you in the court of law. You have the right to an attorney. If you cannot afford one, one will be provided for you…"Cragen read Kathy her rights as Munch and Fin attempted to drag her out of the door.

Kathy nodded. She held out a packet of papers to Cragen before they closed the cuffs on her. "These are the divorce papers. Give them to Elliot. I've already signed them." She was surprisingly calm, no one had expected it to be this easy.

The sirens from the cop cars had attracted her children's attention and the four of them stood in the doorway, watching what was happening.

"Mom, what's going on?" Maureen asked worriedly.

Munch and Fin dragged Kathy down to the cop car while Cragen stayed with the children.

"Maureen, I don't know how to tell you this, but your mother's under arrest for trying to kill Olivia. She shot her twice in the chest last night," Cragen said sadly.

Kathleen and Lizzy started to cry. "What's going to happen to 'Livia?" Asked Dickie, not sure what was happening.

Cragen dropped his head. "I'm sorry guys, but it doesn't look like she'll make it," he said, before walking out of the house. "Maureen, your father's at the hospital with her, I'll call him and let him know…that you were informed. I'm sorry guys," he added, before leaving with Munch, Fin, and Kathy.

Maureen and Kathleen stood there shocked. Their mother had just tried to kill their father's best friend, who was almost like family to them. And now, it didn't look like Olivia was going to make it. Dickie and Lizzy started to cry, and Maureen and Kathleen hugged them both.

"We should probably stay home until we hear from dad," Maureen said, trying to think logically.

Lizzy shook her head. "I don't want to stay here," she said, but she wasn't sure why.

Dickie nodded. "Me either…it feels weird here now."

Maureen sighed. "I suppose we could go to my dorm room. Go pack an overnight bag and meet me in the car." She waited in the car with Kathleen and then they drove off to her dorm.

Maureen's Dorm 

As soon as they entered the room, Maureen's phone started ringing. She rushed over to it and picked it up, knowing that it would be her dad.

"Daddy?" She said into the phone and started crying.

Elliot was on the other end. "Yes honey, it's me. Are the kids with you?" He asked her, worried about them.

"Yes, they are. I brought them over here after they came and arrested mom. Is it true Dad? Is it true that she tried to kill Olivia?" Maureen asked, not wanting to believe it.

"Yes," came Elliot's reply, "Yes she did. Olivia's really hurt Maureen. The doctors said she'll make it, but she's in a coma right now, and might be for a very long time."

"What's wrong with her? Is she hurt very bad?" Maureen asked.

"Yes. One bullet punctured an artery, and one punctured her left lung. She has some slight brain damage," Elliot paused, not wanting to go into very much detail. "Maureen I need you to take care of the kids tonight. I don't know when I'll be home. If you and Kathleen can come over to the hospital after you drop the kids off at school tomorrow, we've got a lot to talk about okay?" Elliot asked, not wanting to leave Olivia's side.

"Sure Dad, don't worry," Maureen said, wiping her eyes. "We'll come by around eight. I have to go now, I love you, and I'll see you tomorrow. Tell Olivia that we love her and hope she gets better soon," Maureen added.

"Okay, I love you too Maureen. Tell the kids that I love them and miss them," Elliot added before hanging up the phone.

Maureen got her brother and sisters ready for bed in her room, and then she and Kathleen fell asleep on the couch.

Back at the Hospital 

Elliot lay his head down on the bed next to Olivia's body, not letting go of her hand. Cragen walked into the room, and found him that way, asleep. He walked over and put his hand on Elliot's shoulder.

"Elliot, wake up," the captain said quietly.

Elliot's head popped up and his head swiveled around to find the captain standing behind him. He yawned and rubbed his eyes.

"How's she doing?" Cragen asked Elliot.

"The short story is; she's in a coma, will be for a while probably, a major artery was punctured as well as her left lung. Her left lung almost collapsed, and she has slight brain damage," Elliot said, not wanting to go into the gruesome details. Olivia was his best friend, not some case.

Cragen nodded. "At least she's still alive," he said, stating the obvious. He held out a packet of papers to Elliot, who took them. "Kathy asked me to give these to you. She said they were divorce papers, and that she already signed them."

Elliot looked slightly confused and relieved at the same time. "Thanks. How is she?" He asked, not really caring though.

"She wasn't at all shocked when we arrested her. She was surprisingly calm. She didn't ask for an attorney, and plead not guilty before the grand jury. Her trial will be in a few months. She's in the Women's City Jail right now, and won't be posting bond anytime soon," Cragen said, not wanting Elliot to worry about her getting out of jail and coming back to hurt Olivia.

Elliot nodded. "Would you do me a few favors?" Elliot asked Cragen.

"Sure Elliot, what do you need?" Cragen replied.

Elliot took out the divorce papers and signed them. "I don't need to look over these. Can you ask Alex to give these to the best divorce lawyer she knows? I want to get this over with. And please, look over my kids. I can't leave Olivia alone," he said, hoping the captain would understand them.

Cragen nodded, and took the papers. "Don't worry Elliot. It'll all be okay," he said, patting Elliot on the back before walking out of the room.

"I hope so," Elliot said to himself.

He kissed Olivia's forehead, and lay his head on her bed once again. "I love you Liv," he said, before falling asleep.


	6. Long Talk

The Next Morning At the Hospital 

Elliot hadn't been able to sleep that night, and fell asleep when the sun started to come up that morning. He was still sleeping in the chair with his head on Olivia's bed, holding her hand. Kathleen and Maureen walked in after dropping Lizzy and Dickie off at school, and found him that way. They both pulled up chairs beside their dad.

"Daddy? It's time to wake up Dad," Kathleen said, gently shaking her father's shoulder.

Elliot sat up with a start and looked around, relieved to find that it was only his children. He yawned and hugged them.

"Hi girls. Thanks for coming," he said, smiling sadly at them.

The girls nodded. "You said we had some things to talk about," Maureen said, reminding her father.

Elliot nodded. "Your mother and I are getting a divorce. She had already signed the papers when she was arrested, and Cragen brought them down to me last night. Alex is going to find a godd lawyer for me. I would like to sell the house though. It has too many memories, and I wondered if it would be okay with you guys if we got an apartment?" He asked, not wanting to make any decisions without them.

The girls nodded again.

"Good. I thought one near the hospital would be good, so that we could come visit Olivia often. With the money from the house, we can afford a nice one, maybe two or three bedrooms," he said, hoping this would appeal to them.

"That's fine dad. It doesn't matter which one you chose. What's going to happen to mom?" Kathleen asked.

Elliot sighed. "She was brought before the grand jury last night, and plead guilty. She's in jail right now awaiting trial. Girls, I'm sorry, but you're mother is probably going to be in prison for a very long time," he said, and hugged them.

"It's okay dad," Maureen said, crying. "What she did to Olivia was wrong. I know she's my mom, but I'm still mad at her. She was wrong to do this, and deserves to be punished."

Kathleen nodded. "Yeah. Is Olivia going to be okay?" She asked, looking over at Olivia laying on the bed next to them.

Elliot thought for a moment. "She'll be okay…but it will take a long time for her to heal. She's in a coma, and they don't know how long. I'm going to ask Cragen to put me on desk duty until she's better. That way I can have less office hours, and spend more time with you guys and here, with Olivia, if that's okay with you," he added.

The girls nodded. "Dad, Olivia's your best friend. We all just want her to get better," Kathleen said.

Maureen looked at her watch. "It's time for us to go dad, I've got to get Kathleen to class."

They both hugged their father and kissed Olivia's forehead, promising that they would be back later. Elliot sat back in his chair, and thought back to when he and Olivia first met, and their first case together.

Flashback

Five Years Ago

_Elliot was sitting at his desk working on some paperwork, when Cragen came out to talk to him._

"_Elliot, your new partner's here. I'd like you to come meet them, okay?" Cragen asked, well, told Elliot._

_Elliot nodded and stood up. He braced himself for a fat man chewing on a doughnut and drinking coffee. He walked into the office, and was surprised to find an attractive woman about his age standing there._

_He held out his hand to her. "Hello, I'm Detective Elliot Stabler," he said, smiling as he shook her hand. Her skin was surprisingly soft. _

_She smiled back at him, her cocoa colored eyes penetrating his ice blue gaze. "I'm Olivia Benson, it's nice to meet you," she said. They started talking, but were soon interrupted by Cragen. _

"_Elliot, Olivia, I've got a 25 year old woman who was raped, she has a young child in the home, and social services suspects sexual abuse on the child as well." He handed them the folder and sent them on their way. _

_The drive was short and silent. They reached the house, and they walked up to it. Elliot knocked on the door. A young woman opened the door. _

"_Hello, how can I help you?" She asked._

_Elliot and Olivia flashed their badges. "I'm Elliot Stabler, and this is my partner Olivia Benson. We're with SVU. We were told that there was a reported rape at this address?" He asked the woman._

_She nodded, and ushered them inside. "It happened last night," she explained, showing them into the living room. "It was my neighbor, who was watching my daughter," she said._

_Elliot nodded. "And where were you?"_

"_I was out with…a friend," she said, embarrassed._

"_A boyfriend?" Olivia asked._

"_One of them," the woman said, blushing. _

"_Where is your daughter now?" Elliot asked._

_The woman pointed to a closed door. "She's in there doing her homework. Her name's Patricia, she's 7 years old," she added, knocking on the door. "Patricia, come out here, the police want to talk to you."_

_Olivia stood up. "If it's alright, I'll talk to her in there while my partner finishes up out here," she said._

_The woman nodded. "Okay, fine with me."_

_Olivia walked into the clean bedroom and smiled at the young girl on her bed._

"_Hi, my name's Olivia. Can we talk?" She asked gently._

_The young girl nodded. "Are you here to take me away from my mommy?" Patricia asked._

_Olivia looked confused. "Why would you think that?" She asked the girl._

"_Because my mommy doesn't come home very much, and hits me when she does. She's always drinking and out with her friends," Patricia said._

_Olivia was surprised. This girl was much more mature than any other 7 year old she knew. "Where is your daddy?" Olivia asked._

_The girl shrugged. "Mommy says that he raped her and then ran away. What's 'raped' mean?" Patricia asked innocently._

_Olivia hugged the girl. "Don't worry about it sweet heart. Would you like to come back to the police station with me?" Olivia asked._

"_Will my mommy be able to hurt me there?" Patricia asked._

_Olivia shook her head. "No one can hurt you there." _

_Patricia nodded. _

_Later that Day_

_Olivia and Elliot had arrested the mother for child abuse, and the mother's boyfriend for sexual assault and rape of the neighbor. Olivia was getting ready to leave, when Elliot stopped her. _

"_Olivia, why were you so quiet today?" Elliot asked, concerned._

_Olivia sighed. "I guess now's the best time to tell you. I was a child of rape. My mother was an alcoholic, and she pushed me around a lot. I guess this case just hit way too close to home," she told him, trying to keep a straight face, but a tear slipped down her cheek. _

_Elliot hugged her. He didn't know her very well, but he could see that she needed a hug. Olivia smiled and thanked him._

Back to Present Day at the Hospital

Elliot smiled. This was when he and Olivia first connected. Over the years, they grew to be best friends. Maybe even more, Elliot thought.


	7. Awake! Awake!

Over the course of the next three months, Olivia stayed in a deep coma. Elliot and his children visited her every day, and helped her nurses out. They would help give her sponge baths, brush her hair, bring her flowers, and just sit and talk.

About three weeks after Olivia was hurt, Kathy was brought to trial. She plead guilty, and was sentenced to 25 years in jail. Elliot and the children were upset, but they all knew that what Kathy had done was wrong.

Elliot and Kathy's divorce had gone through quite fast. Alex Cabot had found Elliot a good lawyer, and Elliot was obviously able to get full custody of his children. He had sold his house, and bought a three-bedroom apartment between the hospital and the precinct. He was able to go on desk duty, and very rarely went out on assignment. He was able to work from nine to five, and spend time in the morning with Olivia, and time in the evening with his children. At least twice a week, Elliot would bring his children down to the hospital, and they would sit and talk together; keeping Olivia company.

One Friday night, Elliot and his children were sitting on the couch next to Olivia's bed. They had all fallen asleep after a long week.

Suddenly, Olivia stirred in her bed. She had woken up. She slowly opened her eyes, and saw Elliot and his children asleep on the couch. She smiled, oblivious to the time and events that had passed.

"El...," she said quietly, her throat dry.

Elliot stirred slightly and opened his eyes, expecting to see one of his children awake next to him. He looked next to him, only to find them all asleep. He closed his eyes again.

"El…,"Olivia repeated, this time a bit louder.

Elliot's eyes flew opened and darted over to Olivia's bed. When he saw that she was awake, his eyes teared up, and his face brightened. He stood up slowly, so as not to wake his children, and then he rushed over to Olivia's side. He grabbed her hand, and kissed her forehead. He sat down in the chair next to her, and stared deep into her eyes.

"Hey," he said gently.

"Hey yourself," she replied smiling, "What happened to me?"

Elliot's brow furrowed. "What do you mean?" he asked her, confused.

"Why am I in the hospital El?" she asked him again.

"You mean you don't remember what happened?" Elliot asked, still not sure what she was asking about.

Olivia shook her head. "All I remember is that I was shot."

Elliot sighed. "Are you sure you want to know?"

Olivia nodded.

"You were shot twice Liv, about three months ago. By Kathy," he said, quietly.

"Oh my god," Olivia said, visibly shaken. She sat there for a second before nodding. "She accused me of sleeping with you…I told her that it wasn't true…" she said, remembering the attack.

Elliot raised his hand to her face and caressed it slightly, but innocently. "I know…I know."

Olivia started to cry. "I'm so sorry Elliot…I'm so sorry," she said.

Elliot squeezed her hand. "Liv, you have nothing to be sorry about. You've done nothing wrong," he assured her.

"But I ruined your marriage," she said.

Elliot shook his head. "Our marriage was already over Olivia…we were already talking about divorce. You must believe me Olivia."

Olivia nodded and gave him a weak smile. "What happened to Kathy?"

"She was sentenced to 25 years in jail. She plead guilty to attempted murder and assault," he replied.

"How are the children?" She asked, looking over at the four of them sleeping on the couch.

"They're doing pretty well actually," he said. "We sold the house, and bought an apartment near here."

"Why?" Olivia asked him.

"Well no one wanted to stay in the house anymore, and since we were over here at least once a day, it seemed practical," he replied, shrugging his shoulders.

"You've visited me everyday?" Olivia asked smiling.

Elliot nodded. "I'm on desk duty now. I only work nine to five, so I can visit you in the morning, and spend the evenings with the children. We all come at least twice a week, just to keep you company," he added shyly.

Olivia smiled, and squeezed his hand. "Thanks El. It means a lot to me…" she added. She was about to say more, when she was interrupted by a squeal coming from the couch.

" Livia!" Kathleen exclaimed, "Wake up guys, Olivia's awake!"

All of the children shot up off of the couch and crowded around Olivia's bed. They all started talking at the same time.

"You're awake!" Dickie yelled happily.

"Livvy! You're okay!" Lizzy said, giving her a big hug.

Kathleen and Maureen stood back a little bit, letting the two younger children hug Olivia. They smiled at her with tears in their eyes.

"How are you feeling?" Maureen asked.

Kathleen put her hand on Olivia's shoulder. "We were worried about you," she told Olivia truthfully.

Olivia smiled. "I'm fine guys…thanks." She brushed a tear out from under her eyes, and smiled again.

"What's all the commotion?" Dr. Andy Campbell asked, as she entered the room smiling. "I see our patient is awake! How are you feeling Miss Benson?" She asked, checking Olivia's vitals.

"Fine, thank you," Olivia replied, smiling at the doctor.

"Liv, this is Dr. Andy Campbell. She's been taking care of you since you were brought into the emergency room three months ago," Elliot told Olivia, introducing them.

"Nice to meet you Dr. Campbell," Olivia said, shaking her hand.

"Please, call me Andy," she said. "From all the things your friends have told me about you, I almost feel like I know you," she added smiling at Olivia.

She looked at the children. "If you all wouldn't mind, I'd like to examine Miss Benson, Olivia, now that she's awake, if you don't mind," Andy added.

"Oh, I don't mind if they stay," Olivia said.

Andy looked at her. "This will be rather painful, I'm afraid. I think you'd be more comfortable if they waited outside," she said.

Olivia nodded. The children left the room and Elliot started to follow. Olivia stopped him. "Elliot, could you stay?" Olivia asked him as he reached the door.

Elliot turned around. "Are you sure Liv?" He asked, unsure of his place.

Olivia nodded. She was a bit frightened. She wasn't sure of the details of her injuries, and the last thing she wanted right now was to be alone.

Elliot gave Maureen his car keys and sent her and the children home.

He came back and sat down next to Olivia, holding her hand. Andy started to poke and prod around Olivia's abdomen and chest, checking her wounds. Olivia winced and squeezed Elliot's hand harder as Andy started poking around her lower abdomen.

Andy's brow furrowed, and she felt around Olivia's lower abdomen some more. "I'm going to take an ultrasound, and I might need to do an internal exam. Your injuries are healing very nicely, but I'm concerned that you might have developed an infection that traveled into your ovaries somehow," Andy explained.

Olivia looked at Elliot, frightened. Elliot smiled at her reassuringly. Olivia closed her eyes and rested her head back against the pillow as Andy completed an internal exam on Olivia.

When she was done, Andy took her gloves off and stood up. "It seems that you developed some sort of infection in your wounds. The bacteria traveled down into your ovaries, and attached itself to the tissue there," she explained, giving Olivia a sad smile.

"What does this mean?" Elliot asked, speaking for Olivia.

"Well we will have to put her on some antibiotics to try and kill the bacteria. But in some cases in females, this type of bacteria has been known to destroy most or all of the woman's eggs, making it basically impossible for the woman to become pregnant. I'm sorry. But we caught it in an early stage, and we'll do all we can to make sure that it doesn't reach that stage," Andy said, leaving the room.

Olivia sat there stunned. She began to cry. She thought to herself. "_Why am I crying? It's not like I ever intended on becoming pregnant. But my life has changed so much in these past few months. Elliot's divorced…wait. I shouldn't be thinking this! Elliot's my partner, my best friend." _She shook her head.

Elliot looked at his best friend, not sure what to say. "I'm so sorry Olivia…I'm really sorry," he said, wiping away her tears.

Olivia nodded, trying to compose herself. "Go home Elliot. Get some sleep," she said, thoughts flying around her head. Had she just thought to herself that she might be attracted to her best friend?

Elliot shook his head. "I'm staying here tonight Liv. You don't need to be alone," he added.

"Why are you doing this for me El?" She asked him.

"Because I…" he stopped himself. "Because you're my best friend Liv," he said sincerely.

Olivia nodded, and scooted over in her bed. "You shouldn't have to sleep in that god awful chair. There's enough room here for you," she said innocently.

"Are you sure? I don't want to hurt you," Elliot said gently.

Olivia nodded. Elliot climbed into the bed, and wrapped his arms around Olivia.

"It's all going to be okay, I promise," he told her.

She closed her eyes and smiled. She was in bed with her best friend, and she realized that she had feelings for him. Now that he wasn't married anymore, she would be able to do something about those feelings. But what would she do? How could she tell her partner of five years that she was attracted to him? These thoughts flew around her head as she drifted off.

Elliot smiled as well. He had almost told Olivia that he loved her. Had he meant it? He knew that he did. He loved Olivia. His best friend, and his partner. But there was no way he could tell her that. There was no way that she would reciprocate those feelings he told himself. He closed his eyes. It felt so good to have her in his arms. Hadn't he always dreamed of this? And now, his dream was coming true. He decided to savor the moment, because he thought that it would never happen again.

Or at least that's what he thought.


	8. Almost

Olivia was released from the hospital three days later with enough medicine to fill a pharmacy. She was going to stay with Alex Cabot for a week or so until she was well enough to go home and take care of herself.

Elliot and his children came to visit her everyday, bringing food and games to keep Olivia company.

About two weeks later, Olivia's injuries were almost fully healed, and it was determined that Olivia was well enough to go back home. She was still taking medicine for her infection, and the effects of the infection on her body were still unknown.

One afternoon, a few days after Olivia had moved back into her own apartment, her phone rang. She walked over to it, and answered it.

"Benson," she said, with her usual air of authority.

"Hey," Elliot said casually.

"Hey yourself," Olivia joked.

"I was wondering if you'd like to come over for dinner tonight. Nothing fancy, probably just some spaghetti. The kids are spending the evening at Maureen's, and I thought we could both use some company. I mean, if you want to," Elliot added. This was his first attempt of showing Olivia his affection for her.

Olivia laughed. "It sounds great El. What time should I be there?" She asked him, looking at her watch.

"Well it's already 5, so I guess as soon as you can," he said, shrugging his shoulders, even though he was talking on the phone.

"Okay, I'll be right over," she said before hanging up the phone.

She ran a hand through her hair, which was now a bit longer than before, and looked in the mirror when it hit her. Elliot had just asked her on a date. A real date. She smiled. What was she going to wear?!

20 Minutes Later 

Elliot's Apartment

Elliot was getting out some ingredients for spaghetti, when Olivia knocked on his door. He walked over and opened it. Olivia was standing there, leaning against the door jam.

"Hey," she said to him.

"Hey yourself," he replied laughing, and ushered her in.

It had been a running joke ever since she came out of the coma. That was the first thing they had said to each other when she woke up, and somehow they found it funny when they said it to each other.

He took her leather jacket from her, and admired her while he was hanging it up. She was wearing black velvet jeans, and a green long-sleeve shirt that showed off her graceful neck and accentuated her big brown eyes.

"You look great Liv," he said, walking back into the kitchen where she was sitting down.

She blushed a bit. "Thanks. What's for dinner? I'm hungry!"

"Well I thought we could make some spaghetti and meatballs. How does that sound?" He asked her.

She nodded, standing up. "Sounds great. Why don't you take care of the meatballs, and I'll do the salad and spaghetti?"

He nodded. "Sounds like a plan."

They got to work, and talked and joked with each other while they prepared dinner. They ate in companionable silence, and put the dishes away.

"I thought we could watch a movie," Elliot said, walking into the living room.

"Okay, I get to choose!" Olivia said smiling.

Elliot groaned and got out her favorite movie, Top Gun. "I should have known you'd say that. Okay, Top Gun it is," he said laughing. He put the movie in, and turned out the lights, sitting down on the couch next to Olivia. He held her hand, and smiled at her periodically throughout the movie.

When it was over, he realized that she had fallen asleep with her head on his shoulder. He tried to rouse her gently, but she was stubborn and wouldn't wake up. He smiled to himself, and picked her up. He carried her to his room, and pulled back the covers on his bed. He was thankful that he had changed the sheets that morning. He took her shoes off, and then pulled the covers back up over her. He kissed her forehead, and then went back out into the living room.

A few minutes later, his children came barging into the apartment. He put his finger over his lips, and motioned for his children to come over close to him.

"Olivia fell asleep during the movie, and she's sleeping in my room, okay? She'll probably spend the night. I'll sleep out here on the couch," he said. He didn't want to scare his children in the morning when they woke up to find that Olivia had spent the night there.

His children nodded, and gave him a hug and a kiss before going to bed. Elliot put on some sweatpants, took his shirt off, made his bed on the couch, and smiled to himself before falling asleep.

The Next Morning 

Elliot yawned and rubbed his eyes. He put the couch back together, and walked into the kitchen to start breakfast. He hadn't put his shirt back on, which Olivia found out when she walked in a few minutes later. Her mouth fell open, and she made a little sound, which caused Elliot to look up and notice her. He started to laugh.

"Good morning to you too!" He exclaimed, walking over to her.

Olivia started to say something, but Elliot silenced her, smiling.

"It's okay Liv…" he said, and looked at her.

"What is it Elliot?" Olivia asked, wondering why he was staring at her.

Elliot's face turned red. "You look…you're…you're beautiful Liv," he said, finally spitting it out.

Olivia blushed as well, and subconsciously ran a hand through her hair. "I just woke up Elliot…the last thing I look right now is beautiful," she said, laughing a little bit.

Elliot walked up to her, and put his hands on her face. "I think you're greatly mistaken Miss Benson," Elliot said. "You're the most beautiful person I've ever seen," he added.

Their bodies moved closer to each other, and their breathing became quick and heavy. Elliot leaned in towards Olivia's face, and they both instinctively closed their eyes.

At that moment, three children ran into the kitchen, and Elliot and Olivia pulled apart suddenly. Their eyes stayed locked, and they were both flushed. They had almost kissed.

Elliot's children were oblivious to what had been going on, what had almost happened.

Elliot walked past Olivia to hug his children as he passed her, he placed a hand on her back, and whispered in her ear, "We'll talk about this later…" he said, his warm breath tickling her ear.

She nodded, smiling, and walked with his to hug his children good morning.

They had almost kissed. They both smiled again. Their relationship would be changing greatly, and neither of them could wait.


	9. Big Date

Olivia went back to work two weeks later and she and Elliot had a date at least twice a week. They didn't do anything fancy, just dinner, movies, even mini-golf.

One day, Elliot walked up behind her at work. "Come away with me tonight." He said, whispering into her ear.

Everyone else was busy looking over paperwork, so no one noticed the somewhat intimate exchange between the two.

Olivia nodded. "Okay…"

"I'll pick you up at 7…wear something nice," Elliot said, before returning to his desk.

He looked over some paperwork before sighing. He took his shoes off under his desk, and leaned back with his hands behind his head. He thought for a while before returning to his work. But he didn't put his shoes on. He stretched his legs, and his foot accidentally brushed up against Olivia's leg.

Olivia looked up, surprised. "Mmm," she thought to herself, "that feels good!" She blushed a bit.

Elliot pulled his foot back. "Sorry Liv…I didn't mean…" he was about to apologize some more, when he felt Olivia's own stockinged foot brush up under his pant leg.

She was looking down at a file, clicking her pen, and smiling. She was blushing a bit.

Elliot stifled a laugh. "She's flirting with me," Elliot thought to himself. "And I like it." He looked at his watch, and saw that it was 5.

"I've got to go guys," he said to his friends. "The children will be expecting me," he added.

His friends nodded and said their good-byes. As he walked past Olivia's desk, he whispered to her once more.

"Until 7," he said, his warm breath tickling her ear.

Olivia shivered. She remembered the last time that his breath had tickled her to think of it, he had promised that they would talk about it, and they hadn't. "Maybe she would bring it up tonight," she thought.

She smiled and got up to leave as well.

"Where you going?" Fin asked, looking at her.

"Big date you've got to primp for?" Munch asked jokingly.

When Olivia blushed, Munch and Fin looked at each other. Munch raised an eyebrow at her.

"Who's the lucky guy?" He asked.

"I'll tell you when we're ready to tell you," she answered, and walked out the door.

Munch looked at Fin. "I think it's serious…"

Fin laughed. "You say that every time she has a date!"

Munch looked at him, before answering. "Well that's because she doesn't have very many!"

Olivia stuck her head back into the bullpen. "I heard that!" she yelled, before leaving again.

Munch and Fin cracked up again.

**7 o'clock that evening**

**Olivia's Apartment**

Olivia had spent the last two hours getting ready for her date with Elliot. She wasn't the type of person to usually do that, but tonight was an exception. She had taken a bath, and took special care in fixing her hair and make-up that night. She had picked out a knee-length, sleeveless, black velvet dress. She had even curled her hair a bit, and put on some simple jewelry.

At exactly 7 o'clock, her doorbell rang. Olivia took one more look in the mirror before grabbing her purse and clutch. She opened the door, and found Elliot standing there with a bouquet of tulips. He was wearing a black tuxedo. He looked very sharp. He smiled when she opened the door. He leaned forward and kissed her cheek.

"Liv…you look amazing," Elliot said, staring at her.

"Thank you. You don't look half bad yourself," Olivia replied with a smile.

Elliot held out the tulips to her. "I wanted to get you flowers, but I thought that roses weren't very original. So I went to the flower store and I saw these," he said shrugging. "The store owner called them simple, but elegant. That reminded me of you, so I chose them," he added, smiling as well.

Olivia looked touched. "Thank you Elliot. Thank you. Why don't you come inside for a moment while I put these in a vase, and then we'll get going," she said as she walked into the kitchen.

"Where are we going tonight?" She asked, getting out a vase and filling it with water.

"It's still a surprise," Elliot said, waiting in her living room. He looked around. He had been in her apartment before, but never really looked at it. His eyes fell on a picture of them that was taken at the Christmas party the year Olivia had joined the unit. He picked it up and ran his fingers over it. Her hair had been longer and darker, and her style had been a bit different. But she still had the same dazzling smile, and the same warm, chocolate-brown eyes. She looked beautiful. "She still is…" he said to himself.

Olivia walked back into the room and found him that way. "Are you ready to go?" She asked quietly, not wanting to disrupt his thoughts.

Elliot looked up and smiled. He set the picture back down and nodded. "Sure, let's go."

They walked out of her apartment, and down to his car. Elliot drove for a few minutes, and stopped infront of an upscale restaurant. He got out, and handed the keys to the valet. He walked around the car and offered Olivia his arm.

Olivia looked up at the restaurant. "Elliot! I've wanted to go here for so long! This is wonderful!" She exclaimed, obviously excited.

Elliot smiled. "I'm glad you think so," he said, ushering her into the restaurant. He walked up to the maitre d', and gave them his name. "Stabler, party of two," he told the man, who nodded, and showed them to a table.

The table was situated in the corner of the restaurant, sort of secluded. It was set for two, and had candles on it. It looked very picturesque; romantic. Elliot pulled out Olivia's chair, and she looked up and smiled at him as she sat down. He sat down across from her, and when the waiter came, he ordered a bottle of wine for them to share.

Olivia looked around the restaurant. "It's so beautiful here," she said, her eyes darting over all of the walls and paintings.

But Elliot couldn't take his eyes off of her. "I hadn't noticed…" he said quietly.

Olivia let her eyes rest on him, and stared deeply into his eyes. He took her hand across the table, and entwined his fingers with hers.

"Is this what you want Liv?" Elliot asked, rubbing her hand with his thumb.

Olivia nodded. "I've never wanted anything more than I want this Elliot," she replied, never breaking eye contact with him.

"Good," Elliot smiled, "I know this is soon Olivia, but I just want to know…how far are you willing to take this?"

Olivia cocked her head to one side and looked at him. "What do you mean?"

"I'm willing to make this work Olivia…I want you to know my intentions, and I want to know yours. Are we just going to have an off and on fling, or are you willing to make a commitment?" Elliot asked gently.

Olivia smiled lightly and leaned in towards Elliot. "I'm willing to take this all the way Elliot," she said quietly.

Elliot leaned in as well, closing the most of the space between them. "Good. Because now that I've got you, I'm never going to let you go," he said, his voice catching a bit in his throat. Elliot leaned in to kiss Olivia, but before he could, the waiter walked up with their food.

Olivia giggled, and then waiter gave her a strange look as her put her plate in front of her. They were both hungry, and ate dinner quickly, talking about Elliot's children and how they were doing in school. After they had finished eating, Olivia invited Elliot back to her apartment for coffee. And of course, he accepted.


	10. Let's Wait

  
After Dinner 

**Olivia's Apartment**

**  
**Elliot and Olivia walked up the stairs to her apartment hand in hand. She unlocked her door, and led him inside. He helped her take her shawl off, and hung it up for her along with his jacket. Olivia slipped her shoes off and padded silently into the kitchen to start the coffee.

She came back into the living room, and found Elliot crouched down in front of her fireplace. He had his bow tie off, his sleeves rolled up, and he had started a fire for them. Olivia smiled and sat down on the couch, her legs curled up under her. Elliot came and sat down next to her. He put his arm around her, and she rested her head on his shoulder.

"We're going to have to tell people," Olivia announced.

"Tell who? About what?" Elliot asked, sort of confused.

"Tell people about us, that we're dating. We'll have to tell your children, Cragen, Munch, Fin…I don't want them to accidentally find out and then us get in trouble," she said.

Elliot nodded. "Well, for one thing, my children already know about us. They like you Liv, they like you a lot. They're cool with the fact that…" Elliot stopped himself.

Olivia looked up. "Cool about what?" Olivia asked, wondering why Elliot had suddenly stopped.

"Oh, it's nothing," Elliot said, waving it away.

Olivia sat up a bit. "Oh no…no you have to tell me!" Olivia teased, laughing.

Elliot smiled. "I hadn't meant to say this yet…so please don't be alarmed, but I…" Elliot stopped again.

"Yes?" Olivia urged, not sure what he was going to say.

Elliot looked intimately into her eyes when he spoke again. "I think I love you. No, I know I love you. For a long time. I just couldn't admit it at first, I wasn't allowed to feel that way, but after Kathy and I started having problems, I realized that what I felt for you was love, not just lust. So I don't want to scare you off, because I mean we're still very early in our relationship…" Elliot rambled on, feeling bad for surprising her like that.

What Elliot didn't know, was that while he was rambling, a smile grew on Olivia's face, lighting it up. She interrupted him by taking his hands in hers, and kissing him passionately.

Elliot stopped talking, and leaned back on the couch, pulling Olivia with him. Their bodies relaxed, and melted into one another. Elliot untangled his arms, and ran his hands through Olivia's hair. Olivia slid her hands up and down Elliot's sides. Elliot licked Olivia's lips, and she parted them, moaning softly as his tongue encircled hers gently.

Soon, they had to stop for air. Olivia rested her chin on Elliot's chest and looked up into his eyes. Her face was flushed, and her hair mused up. Her lips were pink and slightly swollen, and her eyes were dancing.

"Wow…" she breathed, her voice throaty.

Elliot smiled and kissed her forehead. "I'll say," he said, staring at her. "Liv, have I ever told you how beautiful you are?" Elliot asked, his hands caressing her face.

Olivia shook her head. "I don't know. But thank you Elliot. And Elliot…" Olivia said, running her fingers over his lips.

"Yes Liv?" Elliot replied, watching her.

"I love you too," she said quietly, before she kissed him again languidly.

Elliot smiled. "Good," he said. He looked at his watch. "It's getting late," he told her, "You should be getting into bed"

Olivia laughed. "Are you my mother now?" She joked.

Elliot shook his head, stood up, and picked Olivia up in his arms. He carried her into her bedroom. "No, but I hope that one day…" he started to say as he sat her down on her bed. He stopped himself. "Nevermind. Let me know when you're finished changing, and I'll tuck you into bed," he said as he closed her bedroom door and walked out into the living room.

Olivia smiled. She hoped that he was going to say that he hoped that one day she would become the mother of his children. She wanted that too. She wanted that very much. She put on a tank top and some old gym shorts that Elliot had left there some time ago. She sat down on the bed and called for Elliot. "Elliot!" She called, giggling.

Elliot came in and his mouth dropped open when he saw her in the very revealing tank top.

Olivia blushed. "Oh stop it!"

Elliot laughed. "I'm sorry…"

Olivia smiled. "It's alright. I'm ready for bed. You said you'd tuck me in," she said childishly, climbing under her covers.

Elliot walked towards to bed and tucked Olivia into bed. "You're right, I did," he said after kissing her forehead. He sat down on the other side of her and put his arm around her. "Is it alright if I sit here for a little while?" Elliot asked innocently.

Olivia smiled and raised her hand to his check to stroke in gently. "I'd like that very much," she said closing her eyes.

Elliot took his shoes off and stretched out next to Olivia, curling up against her body. He ran his fingers through her hair and watched her as she fell asleep. A small smile crept across her face, and stayed there. When Elliot thought she had fallen asleep, he leaned close to her and whispered into her ear, "I love you Olivia…I want to spend the rest of my life with you. You are perfect, beautiful, and you complete me…" he said before putting his head back down on her pillow. He closed his eyes, and fell asleep.

Olivia opened her eyes and smiled. She hadn't been asleep yet, and she had heard every word that Elliot had said. She was happy; she felt the same way. She closed her eyes, and entwined her fingers with his before wrapping his arms around her. She soon fell asleep.

The Next Morning 

**Olivia's Apartment**

Olivia woke up and looked at the clock. It was 11 o'clock in the afternoon. She was surprised, because she usually woke up at 8 on Saturdays, even though she liked to sleep late. She yawned and stretched, and then rolled over. She found herself face to face with a sleeping Elliot. She giggled. "He must have fallen asleep here," Olivia thought. She watched him sleep for a while. He looked so peaceful, handsome. She wrapped her arms around him and placed her mouth over his, and began to kiss him.

Elliot jumped, and his eyes flew open. He found Olivia on top of him, kissing him. When Olivia saw his expression of surprise, she began to laugh hysterically and rolled off of him.

"What?! Where am I?" Elliot asked, disoriented.

Through her peals of laughter, Olivia told him. "You must have fallen asleep here Elliot."

Elliot smiled "I'm sorry, I didn't realize it…I must have fallen asleep after you did," he explained, pulling her into his arms.

"It's okay. I slept better than I have in a while. Actually, you fell asleep first," Olivia explained, trying to hint that she had heard what he had said to her earlier.

"I did? Oh, because you were asleep and then…" Elliot stopped, realizing that Olivia hadn't been asleep when he had confessed his love for her. "So you heard?"

Olivia nodded and lay her head on his chest, listening to his strong heartbeat. "I did. It was incredibly sweet of you Elliot," she said. She lifted her head and looked into his eyes. "And I want you to know that I love you too. I have for a long time Elliot; I just couldn't say anything because you were married. But now, I feel wonderful. I can finally love you without restrictions. And I want you to know that I want to spend the rest of my life with you as well. You are a part of me, and I can't live without you," she told him, smiling as a tear ran down her cheek.

"Oh…Olivia," Elliot whispered. He held her head in his hands and he leaned down and kissed her. "I love you so much Olivia Benson…you have no idea how good it feels to be able to say that…" he said before Olivia kissed him again eagerly.

She looked into his eyes and answered him. "Yes…yes I do. I love you Elliot Stabler," she said, smiling and wiping away her tears.

Elliot beamed. "Will you come home with me? I want you to be there so we can tell the kids about our relationship, okay?"

Olivia nodded. "I need to take a shower first," she replied.

Elliot got out of bed. "Okay, I'll make us some breakfast and you can take a shower."

Olivia got out of bed and stretched her long legs. "Deal," she said as she walked into the bathroom and closed the door. She turned on the shower, and then leaned against the wall and thought about all that had happened. She loved Elliot, and he loved her. It boggled her mind to think that she would actually be able to have a relationship with him. She smiled and stepped into the shower.

Elliot walked into the kitchen, and got some eggs, bacon, and pancake mix out. He began to make omelets, bacon, and pancakes for him and Olivia. He smiled as he thought about what had happened. He had told Olivia how he felt about her, and she felt the same way. He knew that one day, he was going to marry her.

Ten minutes later, Olivia tiptoed out of the bedroom and crept up behind Elliot. She put her arms around his waist and began to kiss his next. Elliot spun around and took Olivia into his arms. He smiled down at her for a little while before lowering his mouth to hers, never breaking eye contact. He slid his hands down her back and cupped her buttocks. He slid his tongue into her mouth and kissed her tenderly.

Olivia tipped her head back and moaned, "Oh…Elliot."

Elliot smiled and began to kiss her neck, running his hands through her hair. His mouth found a spot under her earlobe by her jaw, and kissed her there. It was her weak spot. She shivered with pleasure. She ran her hands over his back, her nails scratching him gently. "Oh Elliot! Oh god Elliot, I love you," she panted.

Elliot smiled and lifted his mouth from her neck. Olivia looked up, her eyes full of desire.

They both started to talk at the same time.

"We should probably stop…" Elliot said, his voice husky.

"Elliot…we have to stop before…" Olivia said, her voice full of longing.

They both laughed softly.

"You're right," Olivia said, hugging Elliot tightly.

Elliot nodded. "So are you…but I don't know how much longer I can wait Liv…I want you so badly," he stated truthfully.

"I know Elliot…I know. I've wanted this for so long. Let's just wait a bit longer…so we don't mess this up okay?" Olivia asked.

"Yes, okay. But Liv, I want you to know that no matter what, I will always love you," Elliot said, staring deep into her soul.

"I know Elliot. And I will always love you," she said back, lying her head on his chest.


	11. Announcements

A Few Hours Later 

**Stabler Residence**

Elliot and Olivia pulled up in front of Elliot's building, and got out together. They held hands as they walked up to his apartment. Elliot rang the doorbell, not able to find his key. They soon heard feet running towards the door.

"Who is it?" A voice asked.

"It's Daddy," Elliot said, "I can't find my key."

He and Olivia heard the door being unlocked and saw Lizzy standing there. "Hi Daddy! Hi Livvy!" Lizzy said, letting them into the apartment.

Elliot reached down and picked up his daughter giving her a bug hug. "Where are your sisters and brother?" He asked his youngest daughter.

"Katie and Maureen are in our room, and Dickie's in the bedroom reading," she told him.

"Could you go get them and bring them in here?" Elliot asked.

Lizzy nodded and ran off. Elliot sat down into an armchair, pulling Olivia into his lap. She laughed and kissed his cheek.

Elliot smiled and gazed into her eyes. "You're beautiful Liv," he told her.

Olivia beamed. "Thank you Elliot…" she said before kissing him on the lips. Their kiss continued to get more and more passionate, but they quickly pulled away when they heard footsteps coming into the room.

Lizzy and Dickie ran into the room and giggled when they saw Olivia sitting on Elliot's lap. Maureen and Kathleen followed soon after, and sat down on the couch.

Elliot got out of the chair and walked to stand behind it. Olivia settled back into the chair, nervous about telling Elliot's children they were dating.

"Now you're probably wondering why I asked you all to come down here," Elliot said, looking at his children who nodded back to him. Elliot put his hands on Olivia's shoulders and continued. "We wanted you guys to know that we, Olivia and I, are dating. We're both excited about entering into a serious relationship, and we wanted you to be the first to know. Olivia reached up and placed her hand on Elliot's and smiled up at him.

"Cool," said Dickie.

"Wow, that's awesome," Kathleen replied smiling.

"So does that mean you guys are in love?" Lizzy asked innocently.

Elliot smiled. "Normally people don't fall in love right after they begin dating. But Olivia and I have known each other for such a long time…yes, we are in love. But we're going to continue dating before we take the relationship further," Elliot tried to explain to his daughter.

Lizzy nodded. "Oh. But are you going to get married?"

Elliot stiffened up. He wasn't sure how he was going to handle this question. He knew that one day, he hoped that he could marry Olivia. But he didn't want to say anything to scare her off. "We…" Elliot trailed off.

"Not right away…we're going to continue dating. But someday, okay? And you guys will be the first to know, okay sweetie?" Olivia answered squeezing Elliot's hand.

Lizzy nodded again. "Cool. Can we go now?" She asked.

Elliot nodded. The children hugged the couple and then ran back upstairs to continue their games.

Elliot got down on his knees in front of Olivia's chairs and cupped her face in his hands. "Did you mean it?" He asked, his voice cracking a little bit.

"About us getting married?" Olivia responded. Elliot nodded, rubbing his fingers gently on her cheeks.

Olivia smiled. "Yes," she whispered. "It's all I've ever wanted. You've always been the man of my dreams. But you were untouchable, and I kept telling myself that you were my best friend – I couldn't fall in love with you. I knew I couldn't be with you, but I could never find a man who was as perfect as you are. You know me completely, and I trust you. After you got divorced, I realized that I had fallen in love with you. You are my best friend, and I hope that one day, you will be my lover and my partner in life and love as well," Olivia told him, tears falling from her eyes.

Elliot was speechless. Olivia's confession had blown him away. He didn't know what to say. He caressed her face and kissed her tears away. "I knew I was in love with you the moment I saw you," he told her, tears threatening to escape from his eyes.

He looked deep into her velvety brown eyes as he slowly brought his face close to hers and captured her lips in a full kiss. He ran his hands through her silky hair and closed his eyes. Olivia wrapped her arms around Elliot's back and ran her tongue across his lips. She let her tongue search his mouth and moaned in pleasure.

When they came up for air, Elliot watched Olivia.

"Wow…" was all she could say. Her eyes were sparkling and her cheeks were rosy pink.

Elliot smiled and reached for her hands. "I love you so much Olivia Benson," he said before helping her to her feet. "Liv…" he said, trying to figure out a way to ask her to spend the night with him, but he didn't know how.

Olivia smiled and nodded, reading his mind. She was ready to let Elliot love her, and to let herself love him back.

Elliot put his hands on her shoulders and looked into her eyes. "Are you sure," he asked, "Because we don't have to do this yet…" he told her.

Olivia nodded again and gently kissed his lips. "I've never been more sure," she told him.

Elliot smiled, took her hand, and led her toward his bedroom. He made sure to close and lock the door behind them.

"Can I use your bathroom?" Olivia asked, smiling secretively. Elliot nodded and pointed her towards the other door in his room. She smiled and closed the door behind her.

Elliot sat down on the bed and took his shoes and socks off. He stripped down to his boxers, lit some small candles, and put some soft music on.

A few minutes later, the bathroom door opened. Olivia padded softly towards Elliot wearing nothing except his favorite blue dress shirt. Elliot stood up and walked towards her. He ran his hands down to her hips and smiled at her. "Hey…" he said softly.

Olivia put one hand behind his neck and pulled him in for a kiss. "Hey yourself," she said into his mouth before they gently fell onto the bed behind them. Elliot slowly unbuttoned the shirt Olivia was wearing and drank in her body. Olivia could hear his breath catch in his throat.

"Oh god Olivia, you are so beautiful; the most beautiful person I've ever seen," Elliot told her while staring into her eyes.

Olivia smiled as a single tear rolled down her cheek. "Thank you…you're not so bad yourself," she told him as she admired his firm body.

Elliot kissed away her tear. "No tears. Tonight we'll make new memories," he told her as he brought her as close to heaven as she'd ever been before.


	12. Teasing, Announcements, and Perfection

Later That Night 

**Stabler Residence**

Elliot had his arms around Olivia's body and their legs were entwined. Olivia's head lay on Elliot's bare chest, and she was smiling happily. Her lips were swollen and pink from kissing, and her thick, dark hair was tousled. Elliot had a carefree look on his face as he bent down to kiss Olivia's damp forehead. "Wow," he said, which was very understated. 

Olivia looked up at him and smiled. "Thank you," she told him, placing a kiss on his chest.

"For what," Elliot asked, running a hand through her silky hair.

"For making that so wonderful. I had always imagined that it would be amazing…but tonight…no words could ever describe it. I've never felt like that; like this before," Olivia told him sincerely.

"Love," Elliot simply said. "It's love Olivia," he told her as he shifted his body so he could look into her eyes. "That's love Olivia. All those other times it's been about lust. This is love; it's real. We're meant to be together, and when we are…it's incredible. You're incredible and I love you."

Olivia smiled. "Now I know what love is," she said to him and kissed him softly on the lips.

Elliot smiled back at her. "Now that I have you, I'll never let you go," he told her. "I want to make this permanent one day Liv," Elliot said honestly.

Olivia lay her head back down on his chest and closed her eyes. "I know, and so do I. Just give me a month to get used to this; to us. But I promise I won't back out Elliot. I love you," she said before falling asleep in his arms.

Elliot smiled and pulled the covers up around them. He hadn't felt this happy in quite a long time, and he wasn't about to let it go; to let Olivia go. He settled into her body and fell asleep quickly.

The Next Morning 

**Stabler Residence**

Elliot woke up late the next morning – well late compared to when he normally had to wake up during the week. He smiled when he saw Olivia's angelic form sleeping peacefully curled up next to him smiling in her sleep. He propped his head up on his hand and watched Olivia sleep. He could get used to waking up with her every morning. This was what he wanted. This was what he needed.

Olivia felt Elliot watching her and woke up slowly. She stirred a bit before opening her eyes. She opened them slowly to find shining blue ones staring back at her. She beamed and kissed his lips lightly. "Good morning darling," she said teasing him with that term of endearment.

"If you call me that, should I call you honey buns?" Elliot asked, teasing her back.

Olivia glared at him before laughing. "Sleep well?" He asked her, knowing that she hadn't since the shooting.

Olivia smiled. "Like a baby. Better than I have in years. I suppose I have you to thank for that," she told him while wrapping her arms around his body.

Elliot kissed her again. "Well then I suppose I should thank you for helping me sleep well too," he said laughing.

Olivia nodded. "Damn straight. You couldn't have done it without me," she told him.

"And you couldn't have done it without me," Elliot reminded her.

Olivia grinned. "Of course, how could I forget. You play a big part…and I do mean big," Olivia teased, putting emphasis on the word big.

Elliot kissed her full lips to shut her up. "You know you're in love when you can kiss someone with morning breath," she told him.

"Is that your way of telling my I should brush my teeth?" Elliot asked, pretending to be offended. Olivia smiled. "No, I like you just the way you are," she told him.

Elliot sat up and hugged her. "Thanks, but my mouth doesn't taste to great. I should probably brush my teeth," he told her before he got up and walked into the bathroom. Olivia followed him and used the bathroom. When she was done, he had finished brushing his teeth. Olivia took the toothbrush from him and proceeded to brush her own teeth.

"Hey!" Elliot said scoffing at her actions. "Wha?" Olivia asked, her mouth full of toothpaste. "You're using my toothbrush," he told her. Olivia spit into the sink and wiped her mouth off before answering. "Sorry," she said grinning, and walked out into the bedroom shaking her hips as she went.

Elliot followed her and grabbed her around the waist. He spun her around and kissed her hard. "Yep," he said, "you're teeth are clean." Olivia laughed. "We should probably put some clothes on before we leave the bedroom," she told him.

Elliot looked down at their naked bodies and then back up at her. "What's wrong with what we're wearing?" He asked her innocently. "Nothing, I rather like it myself," Olivia told him. "But unless you want to scar your children for life, I suggest we both put something on."

Elliot nodded and pulled on some plaid pajama pants and a t-shirt. Olivia pulled on one of Elliot's old and well-used shirts and some of his old sweats. "You like?" Olivia asked, spinning around and modeling her ensemble for him. "Very much," Elliot told her. "But if I showed you how much, we'd never make it to breakfast," he said laughing. As if on cue, Olivia's stomach started rumbling. "Well I need my food, so let's go," she said grabbing his hand and leading him out into the main room of the apartment.

When they got there, they saw that Elliot's four children were gathered on the couch whispering and giggling with each other. Elliot cleared his throat, and his children all looked up and smiled innocently.

"We were wondering when you two were going to get up," Kathleen said, breaking the ice.

Dickie laughed. "Well they were up pretty late last night, so I guess they were worn out," he said before they all cracked up.

Olivia blushed and Elliot rolled his eyes at his children. "Alright everyone on the couch, and quiet," he told them as he and Olivia sat down in the chair across from them. "I guess now would be a good time to discuss this. Are you guys alright with Olivia spending the night sometimes?" Elliot asked his children, not wanting to make them uncomfortable with his and Olivia's relationship.

Dickie and Lizzie shrugged. "Yeah," Lizzie said, answering for both of them. "That's fine with us."

Kathleen nodded and smiled at them. "Sure, as long as you don't make too much noise," she said, proving to be a real teenager.

Maureen playfully slapped her arm. "Oh be quiet! I think I speak for all of us when I say that we're incredibly happy for both of you. We love you both – and we're cool with you two "having a relationship." Just as long as you promise we'll get to be in the wedding," she said laughing. "We've all seen how sad Dad's been for the last – well for forever. And since you've come into his life…since you two have become an item – Dad's been happier than we've ever seen him. So basically – have fun – and don't do anything I wouldn't," she said teasingly.

Olivia got up and hugged all of the children. "Thanks guys. That means a lot to us – to me. I've never had a family before, so I'm going to need you guys to help me. But I love your father so much, and I love you too," she told them, kissing each of them on their foreheads.

The children blushed and smiled. Olivia walked back over and sat next to Elliot who was smiling. He was amazed at the maturity and caring attitudes of his children. They were truly special. "Thanks," he told them simply. "I love you guys more than you'll ever know," he told them. "Now let's go make breakfast," he said bringing them out of the sappy moment.

"Let us do it!" The children shouted and ran into the kitchen.

Olivia and Elliot stayed behind in the living room and cuddled. "You have an amazing family," Olivia told Elliot. "I'm honored to be a part of it – even an honorary member of it," she said kissing his cheek.

Elliot smiled. "They're great aren't they? They love you Liv…and they're happy. I'm glad that you're a part of our family too," he told her and kissed her back. He leaned in and whispered into her ear, "Maybe one day we can add to it," he told her as he watched her face to see her reaction.

Her face lit up and tears formed in her eyes. "Do you mean it?" Olivia asked him beaming.

Elliot smiled. "I'd love to Olivia. As long as your condition is kept in check, I'd love to have children with you Olivia. You'll be a great mother," he told her seriously.

Olivia looked up at him with shining eyes. "Thank you Elliot. And I can't think of someone I'd rather have children with than you," she told him as she lay her head on his chest and smiled. "This is so perfect," she said aloud. Elliot kissed her forehead in agreement. But they couldn't begin to fathom what the future had in store for them.


	13. Sick Days and Flashbacks

Congrats to the incredible Mariska Hargitay for her much deserved Golden Globe.   
Three Weeks Later 

**Olivia's Apartment**

It was three o'clock on a Friday afternoon, and Olivia was home sick, in bed. She lay there with her head lying softly on the pillow, and watched the rain fall softly outside her window as she thought about all that had been going on the last two months of her life.

She had been shot twice by her best friend's wife – well now ex-wife. She had been in a coma for three months, and came out of it alive. She had developed an infection that affected her ovaries and reproductive system. She had started a relationship with Elliot, an intimate and loving one. She had become like a second mother to his children, whom she loved as well. She and Elliot had told Cragen about their relationship, and they had feared for the worst.

_**Flashback**_

_**Three Weeks Earlier**_

_**SVU Precinct 1-6**_

_Elliot and Olivia had talked, and decided that it was time to inform Cragen about their relationship, so they would not get in trouble with the IAB. Olivia went and knocked on his door._

"_Enter," Cragen bellowed from inside his office._

"_Cap, Elliot and I were wondering if we could talk to you in private," Olivia asked nervously, looking at the captain. _

_Cragen looked up suspiciously. "Alright…come in and have a seat," he told her as he sat back in his chair, preparing for an interesting conversation. _

_Olivia motioned for Elliot to come to Cragen's office, and he came in and shut the door behind him, taking a seat next to Olivia. _

"_You're probably wondering what this is about…" Olivia started off slowly._

"_Damn right I am," Cragen interrupted. "It's not every day your two best detectives ask to speak with you in your office looking like they haven't slept in weeks. What's going on?"_

"_Cap…there's no easy way to say this," Elliot told him, trying to find the right words to say._

"_Well just say it," Cragen said chewing on a piece of licorice and twirling it between his fingers._

"_Olivia and I have been dating for the past few weeks…well we're more than dating. We're….in an intimate relationship," Elliot finally spit out the words. Once it was out, he grabbed Olivia's hand and squeezed it as they watched for the captain's reaction._

_Cragen sat there for a second, his face showing no visible reaction. He looked from Elliot, to Olivia, then back to Elliot a few times before cracking a smile and doubling over with laughter. _

_Elliot and Olivia looked at each other, and then back to the captain. _

"_Um…cap? Are you okay?" Olivia asked, not sure how to take his reaction. _

_Cragen nodded and wiped his eyes as his laughter died down to chuckles. He slowly began to speak. "When I first saw you Olivia, I knew that you were attractive, and that with three men in our squad, you were sure to get a lot of attention from them. I decided to pair you up with Elliot, since he was married, and I thought he would have the least amount of trouble working with such an attractive woman," Cragen said, his eyes twinkling._

_Olivia blushed a bit, but kept listening. _

_The captain continued. "So I called Elliot into my office to meet you. The second he saw you, and the second I saw his face, I knew that someday I'd run into this problem," Cragen said, looking at Olivia. "I recognized the look on his face as that of what you might call 'love at first site.' And when I saw the way you two worked together and interacted, I knew that if he wasn't married, you two would be. You guys are best friends. You're the best team of detectives in the NYPD, not to mention damn good people. I'm proud to call you my friends as well. So I guess I basically want to say good luck," Cragen said, looking at Olivia again before looking at Elliot, "And don't screw up," he told him. _

_Elliot smiled, and his eyes brightened up. "You mean you're not going to split us up?" Elliot asked him unbelievingly. _

_Cragen shook his head. "Not unless it becomes a problem. I have faith in you. But this means no 'quickies' in the afternoon, and no slacking off on the job. But I know I have nothing to worry about," he told them smiling. "Now go get back to work. You might as well tell Munch and Fin. They had their own little pool going as to when you two would get together. I think Munch has his money on next Tuesday. Me, I had big bucks on yesterday. Who knows…maybe I'll make some money!" Cragen joked as he sent the detectives on their way. _

_Olivia and Elliot walked out of his office, pulling the door shut behind them. They looked at each other for a second before Elliot scooped Olivia up into a big hug and swung her around in circles until they both got dizzy. _

"_Well, well, well," Munch said as he and Fin walked into the precinct. "What do we have here?" _

_Elliot put Olivia down and she straightened her shirt as they turned to meet their friends. _

"_Oh nothing," Olivia told them, pretending to glare. _

"_That's not what it looked like," Fin said grinning evilly. _

"_Oh yeah, well what did it look like?" Olivia shot back._

"_It looked like you and Elliot were caught up in an intimate embrace. So, you two finally got your heads out of your sixes and realized that it was time for you to get together?" Munch asked, cocking his head to one side. _

_Olivia blushed and Elliot put a hand on her shoulder. "We just talked to Cragen. We told him that we're in a relationship…" Elliot told his friends. _

_Munch started jumping up and down crazily, and Fin ran to his desk. He pulled out one of his desk drawers and took out a piece of paper. "What was the date?" Fin asked the new couple._

"_The date of what?" Olivia asked, confused._

"_The date you two got together," Fin said. _

_  
"Well that depends on your definition of 'together' Fin," Elliot said grinning. Olivia smacked his arm playfully and tried to hide a blush. _

"_Well…whatever it means to you I guess," Fin said shrugging. _

"_May 2, 10.28 p.m." Olivia said quickly, without hesitation._

_The three men looked at her. _

"_Come again?" Fin asked, with a wise-ass grin on his face._

"_I said, May 2, 10.28 p.m." Olivia said again. _

_Fin looked at Elliot who shrugged. Fin drew his finger down his piece of paper. "Well it looks like the captain just won 300 bucks. He had the right day!" Fin said laughing. _

_Olivia shook her head. "Come on Elliot, let's get out of here," Olivia said, pulling on Elliot's sleeve._

_Munch's head popped up. "Big date?" He asked smiling widely. _

"_No, doctor's appointment," Elliot said. _

"_For you or for her?" Fin asked. _

_Elliot pointed at Olivia. "For her."_

_Munch raised and eyebrow. "Like what kind of doctor?" He asked, wondering if Olivia was pregnant._

_Olivia put her jacket on and rolled her eyes. "Like the kind of doctor that I've been going to once a week since I came out of the coma," Olivia said before dragging Elliot out of the door. _

End of Flashback 

**Present Day**

**Olivia's Apartment**

Olivia smiled as she remembered that day. Since then, it had felt like a heavy weight had been lifted off of her shoulders. She didn't have to worry about her job going anywhere, and neither did Elliot. They didn't have to worry about telling anyone, or what their reaction would be.

Olivia had been back to see Dr. Andy Campbell two days before. Andy had changed her medicines, hoping that a new combination of drugs would help heal Olivia faster. Unfortunately, the medicines did not agree with Olivia very well, and she had been up the night before with a very bad migraine, along with an upset stomach. She, after Cragen's urging, had decided to take the day off to rest. She was due back at the doctor in the afternoon because of the medicine's adverse affects on her. She lay her head back down on the pillow, and promptly drifted off to sleep again, her eyes closing lazily before her long lashes shut.


	14. Appointments

3 Hours Later 

**Olivia's Apartment**

Olivia awoke with a start when her cell phone started ringing beside her shoulder.

"Benson," Olivia said groggily.

"Hello Miss Benson, this is Lana Hawkins, Dr. Campbell's secretary. I'm calling to remind you that you have an appointment with her this afternoon, in about an hour. Mr. Stabler asked me to call and remind you," the secretary told her.

Olivia rolled her eyes. "Thanks very much, I'll see you soon," Olivia said as she hung up.

Olivia loved Elliot, but sometimes she felt like her was too over-protective of her. Especially when it came to her condition. Olivia pulled herself out of the bed, and threw on some clean clothes, not bothering to put any make-up on.

Since it was raining, She decided to drive instead of taking a taxi, and got her car out of the parking lot under her building. She hummed to herself as she made the short drive over to the doctor's office. As soon as she got into the waiting room, her name was called, and she made her way into the exam room.

Dr. Andy Campbell walked into the room and greeted Olivia with a smile and a hug. The two had become friends, after Andy performed surgery on Olivia, helped pull Olivia out of the coma, and had seen her at least once a week for the past two months.

"I heard the medicine wasn't treating you too well," Andy said sympathetically to Olivia.

Olivia laughed lightly. "That's an understatement. It gave me the worst migraine, which kept me up most of the night. And the nausea…was pretty bad," Olivia said truthfully.

Andy smiled sympathetically at Olivia and sat down on her stool. "Okay, well I'm going to do and internal exam to see if the medication had any adverse affect on your body, physically I mean. So if you'll take off your pants and lay up on the exam chair, I'll try to get this over with as soon as possible," Andy told Olivia while she pulled on her gloves and got out some tools.

Olivia put her pants on the chair and sat on the exam chair while she waited for Andy to begin. She lay her head back and closed her eyes. "Well it's not like I'm not used to this by now," Olivia said sarcastically.

Andy chuckled as she performed the exam. She frowned a little bit before finishing up and pulling her gloves off. "I noticed that your cervix was a little soft, so I want to do an ultrasound just to make sure there aren't any growths or anything okay?" Andy told her, setting up the ultrasound machine.

Olivia nodded, put her pants back on, and pulled her shirt up above her stomach. "I know you haven't had one of these for a while, but it won't hurt a bit. The gel might be a bit cold, but nothing more," Andy assured her as she put the wand on Olivia's stomach.

Olivia flinched a bit. "Yeah…you could say that it's a bit cold," Olivia said shivering a bit.

"Sorry about that. It'll warm up in a second…" Andy said, trailing off as she kept on moving her wand over one specific spot on Olivia's stomach. "Hmm…" Andy said to herself before putting the wand up.

"What is it?" Olivia asked, wiping off her stomach and tugging her shirt back down.

Andy smiled. "I'm sure it's nothing to worry about it, but I want to take some blood and send it to the lab just to make sure, okay?"

Olivia nodded and smiled half-heartedly. "Sure…"she said, feeling like a human pincushion. She was getting used to all of the poking and prodding, but she would never get used to her blood being drawn. Needles made her a bit squeamish, so she turned her head as Andy took her blood.

"All done," Andy said, capping the vial of blood. "I'll send this to the lab, and call you with the results later today. For now, let's take you off this medication, and put you on 20mgs of the Tednizone, and 40mgs of the Dionexin. Hopefully they won't make you as nauseous," Andy said as she wrote out a prescription for Olivia.

Olivia thanked her, and left the office. She walked out to her car, and drove to the precinct.

SVU Precinct 1-6 

"What are you doing here?" Munch asked her over the file he was looking at.

"Yeah, I thought Cragen gave you the day off," Fin added, taking a bite out of his sandwich.

Olivia smiled. "Well I just finished up at my appointment, and I didn't feel like going back home, so I decided I'd stop by and see what was going on," Olivia said shrugging her shoulders.

Elliot walked in and smiled when he saw Olivia. He walked up next to her and gave her a quick hug. "How'd it go today?" He asked sincerely.

Olivia shrugged and walked over to the corner of the room motioning for him to follow her. "I guess it was alright. Andy did an internal exam, but she said my cervix was soft, so she did an ultrasound. There was one spot that worried her, so she did blood work just to make sure everything was okay. She said she'd call me as she got any results. In the mean time, she changed my meds, so hopefully I won't be feeling as sick," Olivia said, smiling weakly.

Elliot looked at her worriedly. "Does she think that there is something wrong?" Elliot asked, looking at Olivia.

Olivia shook her head. "She said that it was probably nothing to worry about, but she just wanted to be sure," Olivia told him reassuringly.

Elliot nodded and smiled. "Okay that's good," he said before Olivia cut him off.

"Hold that thought," she told him before racing off for the bathroom.

Olivia ran into the bathroom and emptied her stomach into the toilet. She moaned and gagged again before standing up and walking to the sink. She cleaned her face off and washed her mouth out with the bottle of mouthwash that was stashed on the counter.

Elliot knocked on the bathroom door. "Liv?" He asked through the door.

"It's alright, you can come in," she told him, looking into the mirror.

Elliot walked in tentatively. "Are you alright Liv?" He asked, genuinely worried about her.

Olivia smiled reassuringly. "Yeah, it's just those meds haven't passed through yet, so they're still affecting me. I'll be fine," she told him as he squeezed her shoulders.

"If you're sure," he said.

Olivia nodded. "I'm fine."

Elliot pulled her in for a hug. "I'm worried about you Livvy," he told her honestly.

"I know," she told him, "but I'm okay. Don't worry," she said as her cell phone rang.

"Benson," she said, smiling at Elliot.

"Hello Olivia, it's Andy Campbell. I've got your blood test results back…"


	15. Thoughts

SVU Precinct 1-6 "Hello Olivia, it's Andy Campbell. I've got your blood test results back…" 

"Oh hello! Thanks for getting back to me so fast. So is everything okay?" Olivia asked as she made her way out of the bathroom with Elliot right behind her.

"Oh, everything's fine. You left your prescription for your medicines here so I thought I could tell you more about the test results when you come to pick it up," Andy explained.

Olivia nodded to herself. "The captain gave me the day off, so I'll be over in a few minutes. Is that alright with you?"

"No, that's fine. I don't have another patient until 5, so that gives me four hours before they'll be here. I'll see you in a few," Andy said as she hung up.

Olivia closed her cell phone and put in back in her pocket.

"So everything's ok?" Elliot asked, watching Olivia.

Olivia smiled. "She said everything looks fine, but I left my prescription there, so I'm going to go pick it up. She's going to tell me more about the test results, but everything's just fine," Olivia told him reassuringly.

Elliot smiled. "Okay. Just call me tonight. Is it alright if we come over tonight? Kathleen had something she wanted to share with all of us, if you're up to it," he told her.

"Sure, I feel okay right now, but I guess 6 o'clock would be fine. I'll order some pizzas around 5, so they'll have arrived by the time you guys get there," she told him as she put her jacket on.

Elliot nodded. "Okay. Drive safely," he told her as he gave her a hug.

Olivia smiled and walked out of the door.

Dr. Andy Campbell's Office 

**20 minutes later**

Olivia walked into Andy's office and sat down in a chair to wait for her. She flipped through a magazine, not really looking at the pages as she waited for Andy.

A few minutes later, Andy came through the door and took her lab coat off. "Hey Olivia, here's your prescription before I forget," Andy said to her as she drew the paper out of her pocket.

"Oh thanks," Olivia said. "Sorry I forgot it.

"Oh, it's not a problem," Andy told her. "And it's probably better that we go over these results in person rather than over the phone."

"But there's nothing wrong, right?" Olivia asked, concerned.

Andy shook her head and smiled. "Oh no, there's nothing wrong at all. But I would like to be the first to congratulate you," Andy said, smiling even wider.

"What do you mean?" Olivia asked, confused. "Congratulate me about what?"

Andy took Olivia's hands in hers and grinned. "Olivia, you're about six weeks pregnant. You're going to have a baby," Andy said, hugging Olivia.

Olivia looked at Andy, her eyes wide with surprise. "What?" Olivia asked, wondering if her ears were deceiving her.

"You and Elliot are going to be parents Olivia. You're going to be a mother," Andy told her again.

Tears welled up in Olivia's eyes, but she wouldn't allow them to fall. "How?" Olivia asked.

Andy kept a straight face as she answered Olivia. "Well first a man and a woman fall in love…" Andy said, making Olivia smile.

"No I mean…I thought I couldn't get pregnant because of my condition," Olivia explained.

"Ah," Andy said, understanding what Olivia was asking. "Your condition doesn't make it impossible to get pregnant, it just decreases the chances of it happening. You must have gotten lucky."

Olivia smiled again, this time a little bit wider. "But will the baby make my condition worse? Or the condition hurt the baby?" Olivia asked, worried about her baby.

Andy nodded. "It's possible that you could miscarriage or deliver early, but we'll keep you on medications, and watch over you. I'll go over some rules with you, but as long as you play it safe, I'm sure the baby and your pregnancy will be just fine," Andy told her reassuringly.

Olivia sat back in the chair, feeling better. She placed a hand on her stomach and smiled. "A baby, huh?" Olivia said to no one in particular. "Wow…"

Andy smiled as she got out some information for Olivia to read over. "You're about 6 weeks pregnant, so the conception date was in the beginning of June. You're due in the beginning of February, but you may deliver earlier or later," Andy told her.

Olivia smiled. "Beginning of June huh?" Olivia asked as she thought back to the night that she and Elliot spent the night together for the first time.

Andy nodded. "I know you and Elliot aren't married, he has four children from a previous relationship, you only have two small apartments, and you both work long hours, so it seems like you've got a lot to talk about. But he's such a good man, so you have nothing worry about. And you've got my home and my cell numbers, so don't hesitate to call me with any questions or concerns," Andy told her as she got out her calendar. "You'll still have to come in for your weekly check-ups, so we'll just do the pre-natal exams then, which shouldn't be a problem."

Olivia smiled hesitantly as she stood up. She hadn't thought about all of the things Andy just told her. She and Elliot did have a lot to talk about, and she had a lot to think about. "Thanks Andy," Olivia said warmly, hugging her friend.

Andy walked Olivia to the office door. "You'll call me and tell me how it goes, won't you?" Andy asked, referring to Olivia and Elliot's pending conversation.

Olivia nodded. "Sure…I'll let you know," Olivia said before leaving the office and driving home.

**3 o'clock**

**Same Afternoon**

**Olivia's Apartment**

Olivia came home and stripped her clothes off before stepping into her steaming shower. Hot showers always helped her clear her mind, and she took one whenever she knew she had tough decisions to make. Today, Olivia didn't have any decisions to make yet, but she did have a lot on her mind, a lot of things that she needed to sort out.

After spending an hour relaxing under the scalding water, Olivia stepped out and put on her most comfortable sweats before crawling into bed. She propped herself up with some pillows, and lay her head back so she could stare at the ceiling.

She placed a hand on her flat stomach, and spoke to her unborn child for the first time. "Hello little one, I'm your mommy. I know I'm confused about a lot of things right now," she said truthfully, "but no matter what, I will always love you very much." Olivia brought her fingertips to her lips and kissed them lightly before placing her hand on her stomach.

Over the next three hours, Olivia lay in bed and thought about he future, her child's future, and their future with Elliot and his family.

Olivia knew that she wanted her child to grow up in the same house as its father, unlike she did. She wanted her child to be able to spend a lot of time with her and Elliot, which would be a problem because of their jobs. She loved her job with all of her heart, and so did Elliot. But she knew she might have to give it up for her child. And she was willing to do that. But would Elliot?

She wanted to marry Elliot. But he had to ask her first. And planning a wedding is not the easiest thing in the world. It takes time and patience. And once they did get married, where would they live? Both Elliot and Olivia owned small apartments, which would not do for a family of between five and seven at any given time. They would have to buy a house, and a lot of things for a family. Olivia knew that money would be tight, but that it wouldn't be a problem. She had saved up a lot during the last 10 years or so, because she had nothing to spend it on.

She would have to tell Elliot, and she was worried about how he would react. She knew he loved her very much, and she loved him too. But they were in a fairly new relationship. Sure, they had known each other for seven or some odd years, but their intimate relationship was still new and growing. Were they ready to start a family? Well, they were going to have to be.

And how would Elliot's kids react? Olivia loved them like her own, and they all got along very well. But Olivia was still worried about that. So many changes at once in their family and they might reach their breaking point. They were good kids, so Olivia hoped it would all be okay, for their sake.

Olivia knew she would have to change her daily routine. No more late nights, and no more early mornings. She had to get enough sleep for her and the baby. She couldn't drink any more coffee or alcohol, which would probably be the hardest part for her. She couldn't eat any more junk food, only healthy things. She had to make sure that she exercised, drank enough water, and took all of her medications. She had to keep her condition under control so that her baby could be healthy.

Olivia sighed as she closed her eyes. A baby would change everything.


	16. Reactions Part I

**6 o'clock**

**Same Evening**

**Olivia's Apartment**

At 6 o'clock sharp, Elliot knocked on Olivia's apartment door. When she didn't answer, he took his keys out and unlocked her door and walked in her apartment, all four of his children following him. They flopped down onto the couch and chatted with one another quietly as Elliot went into Olivia's bedroom and closed the door behind him.

He smiled as he watched her sleep. He walked over to her bed quietly and sat down beside her sleeping body. He bent down and placed small kisses along her shoulder and jawline lovingly.

Olivia stirred a bit, and after a few more seconds of Elliot's kisses, her eyes fluttered open and stared sleepily at him. She smiled and rolled over to face him.

"You tired?" Elliot asked her quietly.

Olivia nodded. "It's been a long day…I had a lot of thinking that I had to do," she explained.

Elliot lay down beside Olivia and wrapped his arms around her. "About what?" He asked, concerned that it had to do with her trip to the doctor.

Olivia yawned. "We can talk about it later," Olivia told him "Right now, Kathleen has some big news for us, so I don't think we should keep her waiting any longer," Olivia said as she got out of bed and stretched.

Later That Evening 

**Olivia's Apartment**

Kathleen had been accepted to NYU, and would be attending school there in the fall. She would be rooming with Maureen, which would leave Dickie and Lizzie as the only children in the Stabler home…for now anyways.

Maureen had driven Kathleen and the twins home, and Elliot stayed at Olivia's so they could talk.

Olivia and Elliot were in the kitchen doing the dishes together, making comfortable small talk. Once they were done, they went into the living room where Elliot sat down on the couch. Olivia lay down and placed her head in Elliot's lap so she could stare up at him.

"So why don't you tell me about your heavy thinking," Elliot said to Olivia running his hands through her hair unconsciously.

"There's no easy way to say this…" Olivia started off.

"Say what?" Elliot asked, looking into her eyes. "Whatever it is…don't worry…" he told her.

Olivia smiled. "We need to talk about us," Olivia said. "We need to talk about our jobs, our hours, marriage, and houses," Olivia said, laying it all out on the table.

Elliot raised his eyebrows in surprise. "Well okay, sure…but what brought this on?" Elliot asked, sort of confused.

Olivia smiled. "Hold on a moment," she told him as she got up and went into her room. She got something out of her closet that she had bought earlier that day, and came back into the living room. She handed Elliot a white box with a white ribbon bow on it. She sat down next to him and watched as he looked at it.

"It's not my birthday, is it?" Elliot joked as he examined the box.

Olivia laughed. "No, it's not. Just open it," she told him.

"Okay, okay!" Elliot teased as he took the bow off. He opened up the box and looked inside. He stared for a moment before looking at Olivia with wide eyes.

Olivia smiled a bit. "Go ahead…take them out," she told him, placing a hand on his knee.

Elliot reached into the box and took out a pair of very small, white, crocheted booties. He looked at them, turning them over in his hands, before putting the box on the coffee table and looking at Olivia. "Are you?" He asked her, not able to finish his sentence.

Olivia nodded as tears welled up in her eyes. "Here it comes," she thought to herself. His reaction was the only one that really mattered to her, other than his children's of course.

Elliot placed the booties on the table gently before taking Olivia's hands in his. "A baby…" he said to her as a tear trickled down both of their faces.

Olivia nodded again.

Elliot put his arms around her and pulled her in for a gentle kiss before snuggling with Olivia. "How far along are you?" He asked her as he placed his large hands on her still flat stomach.

"About six weeks," Olivia told him quietly.

"So you're due in February?" He asked as he lifted up her shirt and drew lazy patterns on her soft skin.

"Yeah," Olivia replied before sitting up to look at him.

"Are you okay with this?" She asked straightforwardly. "Because I mean I want you to be, but I don't know if you even want another child right now," she told him, wanting his honest opinion.

Elliot took her hands in his and kissed her forehead. "Olivia, I love you so much, and I'm going to love this child too. I'm excited Olivia. I know you've never had a baby before, but don't worry. We're in this together," he told her, giving her his honest opinion.

Olivia nodded and smiled. "Good," she simply said. "I'm glad. I love you too," she told him before laying back down and putting her head in his lap once again. "What about the kids?" She asked him.

Elliot smiled. "I'm sure they will be thrilled. It's been quite a while since we've had a baby in the house, and you'll have a lot of potential babysitters," he told her.

Olivia laughed. "Well as long as I don't have to pay them…" she joked.

"You said earlier that we needed to talk about our jobs and our hours," Elliot reminded her.

Olivia nodded. "I know how much we both love our job, but with a new baby in the house, neither of us can afford to have crazy hours. And I can't be running around at all hours of the night starting now. I've got to be very careful, because of my condition," Olivia told him.

"You're right. Well, we can talk to Cragen, and see if he can do anything," Elliot said shrugging.

"Well…maybe we should wait a month or so before telling him," Olivia said wringing her hands.

"Why Liv?" Elliot asked.

"Andy said that there's a high chance that I could have a miscarriage or deliver early. I…I guess I just want to wait a little while and make sure…make sure everything's okay," Olivia told him.

Elliot pulled her into a hug. "Livvy, don't you worry. I'm going to take good care of you and the baby. We're going to make sure nothing happens to either one of you," Elliot told her, kissing her gently.

Olivia smiled. "Thanks El. I guess I could asked to be put on desk duty," Olivia thought aloud.

"Yeah, that would probably be a good idea, even if you do get antsy," Elliot said tickling her.

"Hey!" Olivia said as she squirmed in his arms.

Elliot laughed. "I've got some things to show you," Elliot told her as he grabbed a folder off of the coffee table. "I've been talking to a realtor for the last few weeks, and there are some houses that I'd like to show you," he said as he got some pictures out of houses.

Olivia sat up. "For us, to live in?" She asked him.

Elliot nodded. "That's what families do," he told her as he showed her the first picture. "I figured we'll probably need about 5 bedrooms. One for us, one for Dickie, one for Lizzie, and then two extras. Of course, the baby will need one, so that leaves one for Maureen and Kathleen to stay in when they come home for weekends and such," he told her.

Olivia nodded. "I like this white one," she told him, pointing to one of the pictures. "It's nice and big, but not too expensive."

Elliot smiled. "I knew you'd like that one," he told her as he put the pictures down on the table and reached into his jacket pocket.

"You didn't buy the house, did you?" Olivia asked, looking at him suspiciously.

Elliot shook his head. "No I didn't buy the house, although I did tell the realtor to put a bid in on it. But we can buy it. I bought you something else though…"


	17. Reactions Part II

Disclaimer: Yeah, once again I must tell you that I don't own Law and Order SVU, or it's characters. Although, maybe I can marry Dick Wolf, then divorce him and sue him for ownership of them. Yes. I rather like that idea. I also don't own Dr. Andy Campbell. BUT…I do own Eliza Kate Morton – from a previous chapter, and I will own Olivia's child. That sounds so evil…but I'm not evil. Oh yeah. And I do own this plot line.

Elliot smiled. "I knew you'd like that one," he told her as he put the pictures down on the table and reached into his jacket pocket.

"You didn't buy the house, did you?" Olivia asked, looking at him suspiciously.

Elliot shook his head. "No I didn't buy the house, although I did tell the realtor to put a bid in on it. But we can buy it. I bought you something else though…"

Same Time 

**Olivia's Apartment**

"Close your eyes," Elliot told Olivia quietly.

Olivia looked at him with her eyebrows raised before she consented and closed her eyes.

"Okay, you can open them," Elliot told her a few minutes later.

Olivia opened her eyes, and found Elliot down on one knee in front of her on the floor. In one hand, Elliot held his open cell phone, and in his other hand, he held a black velvet box. Olivia gasped.

Elliot began to speak. "Olivia, I've loved you since the moment I saw you. These past few months have been incredible. I've been happier than I have in my whole life. I want to continue to be happy. I want to spend the rest of my life with you, so we can be partners in life as well as in love, as you once told me. I can't promise you that times won't get tough, and I can't promise you that I'll be the perfect husband. But I can promise you, that no matter what happens, you can always count on me to be there for you, and love you. So Olivia Benson, if you'll have me, I'd like to ask you to marry me," he told her, smiling as wide as he possibly could. "But before you answer, my children would like to speak to you," he said as he handed her his open cell phone.

"Hello?" Olivia said shakily.

"Hey Livvy!" Yelled four very excited voices. "We're on speakerphone," Maureen added. "Before you answer Dad, we'd like you to know that we really love you Olivia, and you make us, and Dad happy," Kathleen said.

"We want you to marry Dad," Dickie said, "Because we think you're cool."

"Well, duh!" Lizzie said. "We'd really like it if you'd marry him. Then you can come live with us. And we'll all be really, really happy!"

"Liv, you've been like a second mother to us all of our lives. We know that you don't want to take our mother's place, but we love you so much. And so does Dad. And we want you guys to be happy. We want you to become a part of our family. So you and Dad have our blessing," Maureen told her.

Olivia put the phone down on the couch before looking at Elliot.

Elliot took her hand in his and opened the small black, velvet box. Inside was a delicate white gold ring. Inlayed in it was a medium sized pearl with two small diamonds surrounding it. "Olivia, will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?" Elliot asked once again.

Olivia looked down at the beautiful ring, and then back at Elliot before nodding. "Yes," she whispered. "Yes…oh Elliot! I love you," she said, throwing her arms around Elliot's neck and kissing him.

In the background, cheers could be heard coming from the phone.

Elliot looked at Olivia with his eyes shining as he slipped the ring on her finger. He kissed her passionately before whispering into her ear, "I love you Liv…more than anything in the world. I love you so much, and I love our child too," he told her.

Olivia smiled and hugged Elliot. She looked down at the phone. "Maybe we should tell them," she said, referring to his children.

Elliot nodded. "Do you want to come home with me?" He asked her.

Olivia smiled. "Yes," she said, with her arms still around his neck.

Elliot picked up the phone from the couch. "Hey kids, we're coming home," he told them before hanging up.

Elliot looked back at Olivia and stood up. He held out his hand to Olivia and helped her up off of the couch. "Liv I lied earlier," he told her honestly.

Olivia stood up and narrowed her eyes at him suspiciously. "About what?" She asked him.

Elliot dug a key out of his back pocket. "I did buy the house…" he told her, shrugging his shoulders.

Olivia began to laugh. "How did you know that I would say yes though?" She asked him as they made their way to her door hand in hand.

"My kids convinced me," he told her. "I wanted to wait until after I proposed, but they kept on saying that they were sure you'd say yes, and that they were sure you liked it. The deciding factor was when I heard how many other people wanted the house. I knew then that if I didn't buy it right away, that someone else would," he told her as they got into the car.

Olivia smiled as they drove towards Elliot's apartment. She leaned over and kissed his cheek. "Well I'm glad you did. With us getting married and a baby on the way, we'll need it sooner than you thought, huh?" Olivia joked.

Elliot beamed. "Liv, you have no idea how happy you've made me today," he told her honestly.

Olivia chuckled. "It has been a pretty eventful day, hasn't it. We bought a house, we're having a baby, and we're getting married. Well, I say that we perfected the hat trick, huh?" She said happily.

Elliot patted her knee. "I agree."

30 Minutes Later 

**Stabler Apartment**

Olivia and Elliot walked to his door hand in hand, and shared a passionate kiss before the door burst open and four children came flying out to encircle the couple in a large bear hug.

Olivia laughed and hugged the bodies around her.

After a few minutes, Elliot managed to shuffle everyone inside the apartment. The kids sat down on the couch, while the newly engaged couple sat together in a large chair.

"So I take it Livvy said yes," Kathleen joked.

Olivia laughed. "Of course I did," Olivia said as she showed them her ring. The girls crowded around her to ooh and ahh over it.

"So did Dad tell you about the house?" Maureen asked once the girls had sat back down on the couch.

Olivia took Elliot's hand and smiled. "Yes he did. It's a beautiful house, and I can't wait to see it in person."

"Well I'm sure you'll love it as much as we do. Lizzie already picked her room out," Kathleen said as she tickled her sister.

Elliot smiled. "It's not the one closest to the master bedroom is it?" He asked Lizzie.

"No, no one chose that room. I picked the one in the front of the house, and Dickie's is next to mine. Maureen and Kathleen haven't chosen theirs yet. Why?" Lizzie asked innocently.

Olivia looked at Elliot and smiled. "Because that's going to be the baby's room," she told them as she squeezed Elliot's hand.

"You're having a baby?!" Elliot's children screamed as they jumped up and down in the living room.

Olivia nodded. "In about 7 months, you guys will have a new little brother or sister," she told them as she beamed with happiness.

**Later that Night**

**Elliot's Apartment**

Hugs and kisses were shared all around, and the children were all put to bed by the happy couple. Promises were made to see the new house in the morning, as well as to get started on wedding plans.

Elliot led Olivia back to his room, and they lay on his bed together talking about their future. Elliot rubbed Olivia's back mindlessly as he listened to her talk.

"I'd like to get married within the next two months," Olivia told him. "I know that seems very soon, but I'd really like to be able to fit into a wedding dress without feeling like a blimp," she said laughing.

"Oh, but you'll be a very beautiful blimp," Elliot teased as he kissed her neck.

Olivia slapped him playfully. "Gee, thanks. I don't think I'll have a problem planning the wedding. I've got three professional ones already willing to help…your daughters!" Olivia joked.

Elliot laughed. "And we can move into the house right after the wedding. The closing on the house won't be for another few weeks, and then after that we'll have to decorate and move all of our stuff in. So that way – we can spend our wedding night in our new house for the first time," Elliot said as he brushed the hair out of Olivia's face.

"Mmm…" Olivia smiled. "Sounds romantic," she told him as she wrapped her arms around him.

Elliot blew gently into her ear. "I intend to make it very, very romantic," he told her before kissing her intimately.

"Good," Olivia said before rolling over and getting off of the bed. "Let's put our pajamas on and get into bed," she told him as she stripped her clothes off. "It's getting late, and I'm getting tired," she said as she pulled on a pair of Elliot's sweats.

"Yes ma'am," Elliot joked as he stripped down to his boxers and slid under the covers. A few seconds later, Olivia joined him there. She lay her head on his chest before she started talking again.

"I'm really excited about the baby," she told Elliot. "But I'm scared too. Scared that I won't be a good mother, worried that I'll do something wrong…" she said honestly.

Elliot put his fingers over her lips to silence her. "Don't say things like that," he said quietly. "You are going to be a wonderful mother. I promise you that. And our baby will be wonderful too…I just can't wait until it's born," he told her as he gently caressed her face.

Olivia smiled. "And you'll be happy whether it's a boy or a girl?" She asked him.

Elliot chuckled. "I'd be happy if you had 5 girls and 1 boy. I don't care what our child is. I'll love it no matter what, because it's a part of you and I. We made our child out of love," he reminded her as he turned off his light. He lay back down on his pillow and shut his eyes. "And I know that it will be just as amazing as it's mother is," he said kissing Olivia's forehead.

"Thanks Elliot. I love you too," she told him before she fell asleep.

Elliot smiled and bent down to kiss Olivia's stomach. "And we love you too, little one," Elliot said to his unborn child.

And inside Olivia's womb, two hearts fluttered in response.


	18. Boys and Plans

**The Monday after Elliot Proposed**

End of the Work Day 

**SVU Precinct 1-6**

Elliot knocked on Cragen's opened door and stuck his head inside it. "Cap, Liv and I have some things we'd like to talk to you and the boys about," Elliot said.

Cragen looked up from the file he was scanning over and nodded. "Sure, go ahead and call them in," he said as he put his file down on his desk.

Elliot walked back out into the bullpen and called for everyone to come into the Cragen's office. Munch and Fin scurried in, not sure what was going on, and Olivia came in last, smiling as she closed the door behind her.

"So you're probably wondering why I called this meeting," Elliot said as everyone looked at him intently.

"Not really," Munch replied dryly, "But as long as it gets me away from that mountain of paperwork, I'm grateful that you called it," he said as he smirked.

Fin reached over to smack him over the head with a file he was holding. Elliot looked at him appreciatively.

"Well, I have a few announcements to make," Elliot said.

Munch looked at Olivia. "Alright lovebirds, what is it?" He asked, pretending to be uninterested.

"Well first of all, I proposed to Olivia on Friday night," Elliot started off.

Cheers erupted in the small office. "What did you say?" Cragen asked, smiling at Olivia.

Olivia held out her left hand so that they could all see her ring. "Ooh, you go girl!" Fin said as he gave Olivia hug.

Elliot cleared his throat. "Please, hold all applause to the end," he said jokingly. "Also, my children persuaded me to by a house in the suburbs for my new bride," he told them as he passed around a picture of their soon to be new house. "Kathleen got accepted to NYU, and will be moving into a dorm with Maureen after she finishes this quarter at high school. Which leaves Dickie and Lizzie home with us," he added.

"The house has five spacious bedrooms," Olivia put in, "One for us, one for Dickie, one for Lizzie, one for Maureen and Kathleen to share on weekends, and one for the baby," Olivia said as she put her hand on her stomach, which still had a few months to go before it would start showing.

Everyone became quiet and the three men in the room looked at the happy couple whose hands were clasped together.

Munch broke the silence. "Well…I always said a baby was a wonderful thing," he said playfully.

"Oh shut up," Fin said smiling. "Well hot damn guys – you really know how to surprise a couple of old bachelors! Good going!" He said as he and his partner embraced the couple before returning to their desks, leaving Olivia and Elliot alone with the captain.

"Well, well," Cragen said with a gleam in his eye. "Congratulations guys. I'm really happy for all of you…all what will it be, eight, no seven, of you!" He said patting Elliot on the back.

Olivia spoke up. "I'd really like it if you would walk me down the aisle," she told Cragen. "We've always playfully referred to you as 'Dad,' but you've really been a father figure to me these past 6 years, and it would mean a lot to me if you'd give me away," she said expressively.

Cragen teared up a little bit and pulled Olivia in for a hug. "I'd be honored Olivia," he simply said.

After all the tears and cheers were shared, the three got down to business.

"I'd like to be put on desk duty until I go on maternity leave," Olivia told Cragen. "I know I'll hate it, and I know I'll bitch about it until you guys want to kill me, but I know that it's the best thing. Because of my condition, I can miscarry very easily, so I just thinks it's the best way to keep me and the baby healthy," she said.

Cragen nodded. "That sounds good. After the baby is born, we'll talk about you going back to work and so forth," Cragen said before looking at Elliot.

"And cap, I need to make sure that I can be home with my family more than I was before, so if there's any way we can reduce my hours, or something, to ensure that I can be home for dinner…I'd really appreciate it," Elliot told him.

Cragen though for a second or so before replying. "Now don't let it go to your heads, but you two have always been my star detective team. I've given you the harder cases that require more work, and therefore more hours. If it's alright with you, I'll pass your duties over to Munch and Fin. Elliot, since you'll no longer have a partner to go to scenes with, you'll be Munch and Fin's assistant," Cragen told him.

Elliot sighed. "I'll never live that title down, will I?" Elliot asked jokingly.

Cragen chuckled. "Nope, I suppose you won't. But as I told Olivia, after she returns to work, if she decides to, we'll talk about permanent changes then. As for now, I don't think we'll run into any problems with the IAB since Olivia is on desk duty," Cragen said as he stood up. "And Olivia, I know you've got a lot of wedding planning to do, so don't hesitate to take some time off. I can always throw the paperwork at the boys," Cragen said grinning.

Olivia and Elliot stood up as well. Olivia gave Cragen a hug. "Thanks Cap…Dad…thanks a lot," she said before she and Elliot walked out of the 'house' and to their car hand in hand.

Cragen watched them walk away and wiped a single tear from his eye.

6 Weeks Later 

**Stabler Apartment**

Olivia had moved out of her apartment and into Elliot's for the time being. They had been working on wedding plans and house plans together, and the big day was only two more weeks away.

"Hey El, what color did we decide to paint our bedroom?" Olivia called from the kitchen.

Elliot walked in from the living room and shrugged. "I can't remember whether the bedroom is the Williamsburg Blue, or the Sage Green. One is our bedroom, and one is our bathroom," Elliot said laughing.

Olivia showed him a scrap of fabric. "I think it's the blue. Do you like that for the comforter?" Olivia asked him.

Elliot looked at the fabric for a second before kissing Olivia on the lips. "I love it if you do," he told her, trying to be helpful.

Olivia sighed and sat down in a chair. "Okay. Well. The house is done. The furniture will be moved in during the wedding. I've made detailed plans so they know where to put everything. Maureen and Kathleen are going over between the wedding and the reception to make sure everything's in place," she said shuffling some papers around. "Oh yes, wedding plans. Can I read these out to you, just to make sure everything's okay?" She asked Elliot.

Elliot looked up from his book and smiled. "Sure, go ahead." Olivia had gotten very meticulous during her pregnancy, or at least so far. Elliot wasn't sure if it was the pregnancy or if it was just Olivia. He didn't mind it though. He put his book down and picked up Olivia's leg so that he could massage her foot while she talked to him.

"Okay. Your parents are flying in from Michigan at noon on July 31, and you'll pick them up at the airport before dropping them off at the Ritz Carlton in Central Park. The rehearsal is the same day at 6.00 at St. Patrick's. It should only take an hour, so we can make our dinner reservations at Bella Luna's. There will be about 100 of us for dinner, so they are going to give us the large back room. Then I'll spend the night at Maureen's dorm. I'll wake up at 7, and have brunch with the bridal party at the Ritz at 11. Your mother set that up. I have to be at the church at 3. The hairdresser and make-up person that Kathleen hired will be there at 3.15. I'll be dressed and ready by 4.45, which is 15 minutes before the service starts. You have to be dressed and at the church with your groomsmen by 4. We'll be married by 6.15, which is when we'll leave in the carriage for the reception. It too, is at the Ritz. I think your mother likes that hotel," Olivia added with a laugh. "We'll have about an hour and a half to spare until the reception starts. We've got a private room to stay in together until then, but not playing around until we get home," Olivia said, teasing Elliot, who just smiled. "We'll leave the reception around 10. So we'll be home around 11, depending on how fast the limo goes. The rest of the night is ours," Olivia said, finally pausing for a breath. "Our suitcases will have already been packed, so we can leave at 10 the next morning so we can be in the Hamptons' in time for lunch," Olivia said finishing up.

"It was nice of Alex to let us use her house there," Elliot commented.

Olivia nodded. "She says she doesn't use it much at all because she's so busy. But I guess when you're an ADA, money's not an issue," Olivia said smiling.

Elliot pulled Olivia to her feet and into a hug. "Well we don't have hoards of money, but we've got each other," Elliot said sentimentally.

Olivia kissed him on the lips and then looked at her watch. "We've got to go. We've got the pre-natal appointment with Andy in about 30 minutes," Olivia reminded him.


	19. Seeing Them

30 Minutes Later Dr. Andy Campbell's Office 

Olivia and Elliot raced into the office and almost ran into Andy who was walking out into the waiting room. They had gotten stuck in traffic, and didn't want to miss their appointment.

"I was just about to come out and call your cell," Andy told Olivia.

Olivia laughed. "Sorry, we were busy going over wedding plans and then got stuck in traffic," she explained.

Andy smiled and held up her hand. "Say no more," she said. "Come on in, I'm ready for you now."

Andy led the way to the exam room. Olivia got up on the exam chair, and Elliot pulled up a seat behind her.

"Okay you know the drill. I'm going to do a quick pelvic and draw a little blood, and then we can see your baby!" Andy told them as she put her gloves and her mask on. "Since you're now 3 months along, the baby will start to look more like a baby, and less like a peanut," Andy told them with a laugh.

"Oh, but it's such a cute little peanut," Olivia said jokingly.

"That's why Kurt Cobain named his daughter Frances Bean," Elliot said randomly. When the two women looked at him, he shrugged. "He thought she looked like a bean on the ultrasound machine," he explained.

Olivia looked at Andy and laughed. Then she turned and kissed Elliot. "You're cute too," she told him.

Olivia made it through the pelvic and the blood drawing fine, except for almost breaking Elliot's hand when she saw the needle.

"Okay," Andy announced as she threw her gloves away. "I'll let you put your clothes back on, and then I'll meet you in the ultrasound room so you can see your baby," she told them as she exited the room.

Olivia pulled her pants back on and tied her shoes. "Are you excited?" She asked Elliot.

Elliot smiled. "I'm glad I'm here for this Liv. I missed it with the others, but I promised myself I wouldn't miss this baby," he told her before kissing her.

Olivia smiled as she took his hand and started down the hall. "I'm excited too…my first baby…our first baby!" She said as she skipped a little down the hall.

Andy walked into the room a few minutes later. "Okay, just hop up on the table and pull your shirt up, and you can see the baby," Andy told them as she got out her wand.

"Can you print us out a picture of the baby?" Elliot asked Andy.

Andy smiled at him as she moved the wand around on Olivia's non-existent belly. "Sure thing. When you're around three months, you can tell what the sex of the baby is. Of course sometimes, the babies don't cooperate, and therefore you have to wait for the next appointment. But I'll let you two decide whether you want to find out or not," Andy said as she looked at the couple.

Olivia looked at Elliot for a second, their eyes talking for them. "We'll wait," Olivia told Andy. "We'd like it to be a surprise."

Andy smiled. "I chose to be surprised with my girls too," she said. She moved the wand around some more and chuckled a bit. "Well, there's your baby!"

Olivia gasped and tears came to her eyes. Elliot squeezed her hand and kissed her forehead. "There's our baby Livvy…" he said quietly. "Our baby…"

Olivia smiled and wiped her tears away. "It's so tiny…oh Elliot…it's our baby!" She said excitedly.

Andy gave Olivia and Elliot a moment to see their baby before turning off the machine. She handed Olivia a damp paper towel. "Why don't you clean your self up a bit while I go and get the picture from the next room," Andy said before exiting the room.

Olivia smiled. "You ready to see the picture?"

"You bet!" Elliot said as he threw away the paper towel for her as she tucked her shirt back in. They sat and talked for a few minutes until Andy knocked on the door and came back in.

She pulled up a chair in front of them and got out two glossy black and white pictures. "I printed out two copies," she told them as she handed each one a picture.

Olivia looked up and smiled at her. "You didn't have to do that, printing out two copies I mean," she told her.

Andy laughed. "Oh but I did. If you look, I labeled each picture. The one Elliot is holding is Baby A, and the one you are holding is Baby B. I printed you a picture of each baby," Andy said as she watched their faces for their reactions.

Olivia looked at Andy, and then down at the pictures. "You mean, twins?" She asked unbelievingly.

Andy nodded. "Congratulations!" She said as she hugged Olivia. "I wish I could stay and chat, but I have another patient waiting for me. I'll be out of town next week, so Dr. Delgado will do your exam. I'll see you at the rehearsal dinner!" Andy said as she left the room. Andy was going to be one of Olivia's bridesmaids.

Olivia nodded, not really hearing what Andy had just said. She looked at Elliot with tears in her eyes. "Twins…" she said to him.

Elliot looked at her and wiped away a few tears of his own. "I guess it runs in the family," he joked before pulling Olivia in for a hug.

"Twins…" Olivia said again. "How are we going to manage?" She asked him, feeling a little overwhelmed.

Elliot took both of her hands in his. "Now don't you worry about that. We'll do just fine. And just think! Double the fun, double the joy, double the love!" He said, reassuring her.

Olivia laughed. "And double the diapers," she joked.

"Double the everything," Elliot said kissing Olivia. "I love you," he told her. "I love all three of you!"

Olivia kissed him back and they walked out of the doctor's office. "I love you too. Well, I guess it's a good thing we bought that big house!" She told him as she squeezed his hand.

"God is gracious, Olivia Benson," Elliot said as he kissed her one last time and they headed for home.

Yes indeedy! Some of you guessed it. I just couldn't help myself. These are going to be the two cutest babies ever! I've already got their names picked out and everything!

Oh yes. And sorry about all of those wedding details I added in the previous chapter. I don't want it to seem like a filler, but I just didn't want there to be no mention of what the wedding's like. Of course in other chapters I'll describe the ceremony and everything – but I'm not going to devote a whole chapter to the little details.

If you have any suggestions about the characters, plot, setting, theme, anything at all, please let me know! Also – if you have any questions about anything – please let me know so I can clarify them for everyone.

Oh and question – is Elliot's daughter Elizabeth's nickname spelled Lizzie or Lizzy? Because Andy Campbell's daughter Eliza on Strong Medicine in Lizzy, and I can't remember which this one is. I think that it's Lizzie though.

Thanks for everyone who has read and reviewed.


	20. Meet The Parents

The next two weeks were quite hectic. They were filled with last minute wedding details, travel plans, dress fittings, and final details for their new house.

Elliot hadn't let Olivia see their bedroom yet – he had a surprise for her, and it was imperative that she not go into the bedroom, or else she would see his surprise. The surprise was his wedding present to her.

Olivia already knew what she wanted to get Elliot, but she wouldn't be able to give it to him for another few months.

It was already the day before the wedding, and Olivia, the girls, and Alex and Andy were taking care of last minute fittings.

Olivia's stomach was already starting to show, but it wasn't visible unless she had her shirt off. Her wedding dress was ivory with gold trim along her 10-foot train. It had an elegant halter-top, and a very low cut back. It fit her like a glove, and her stomach didn't pooch out or show. She had a long veil, but she would take it off for the reception. Today she and her bridal party were going for their final dress fittings.

Olivia let the girls try on their dresses first; or rather the girls insisted that Olivia go last so they could all see. Maureen, Kathleen, Lizzie, and Andy Campbell were going to be her bridesmaids. Alex Cabot would be her maid of honor. The five of them came out of the dressing rooms in their long, sleeveless, light pink gowns.

"Oh!" Olivia gasped as she clasped her hands together. "You guys look great! You'll look great tomorrow with your hair and make-up done, and the ivory roses you're carrying…I'm so excited!" Olivia said happily.

Alex smiled. It had been a long time since she had seen Olivia this happy and giddy. Well, actually, she wasn't sure if she had ever seen Olivia this happy. It was nice though. Seeing her best friend enjoying herself and not worrying about anything. "It's your turn Olivia," she said pushing her into a dressing room. "We want to see your dress now."

After about 10 minutes, Olivia came out of the dressing room. Everyone began to ooh and ah, and even the people in the store turned and looked at the truly beautiful bride. Olivia blushed and twirled around so everyone could see her dress.

"Oh Livvy, you look so pretty!" Lizzy squealed, as she jumped up and down, clapping her hands.

Olivia looked in the mirror. She did look beautiful. She couldn't believe that tomorrow, she would be getting married to the man of her dreams, Elliot Stabler. She smiled before she went back into the dressing room to put her clothes back on. When she was done, all of the girls left the store and drove back to Olivia and Elliot's apartment.

Elliot and Olivia's Apartment 

They three 'grown-ups' sat down on the couch to talk, while the girls went to finish packing up their rooms.

"So Olivia, are you and Elliot excited about the babies?" Alex asked her as she sipped her coffee.

Olivia smiled and put her hands on her stomach. "Of course we are! He can't wait until my stomach starts showing…but I think I can," she joked.

Andy laughed. "Well you already show a little bit, but only when your shirt is pulled up," she pointed out.

"Oh really?" Alex exclaimed. "Show!" She demanded playfully.

Olivia rolled her eyes and pulled up her shirt a bit. Alex sighed excitedly. "Oh Olivia!"

Olivia smiled and let her shirt back down. She leaned back on the couch and rubbed her belly. "It does make it more real when you see it, doesn't it?" She realized. "Elliot likes to place his hands on my stomach and talk to the babies. We're in love with them already," she said happily.

Andy patted her arm. "I'm so happy for you Olivia," she told her. "When I first saw you, in the ER after the shooting, I wasn't sure if you were going to make it. After I performed that surgery, I was confident that you would live…but I didn't know how long it would be before you came out of the coma. Elliot…he was such a good friend. He came and sat with you every day, brining his children too. They would tell you stories, brush your hair, bring you flowers…his children loved you. When he was alone, he would hold your hand and talk to you, telling you how much he loved you. Whenever he left for the night, he would kiss your forehead, and tell you that you needed to wake up for him so that he could show you how much he loved you. And now look at you!" Andy said as the three women wiped tears from their eyes.

Olivia gave Andy a hug. "Andy, I can't thank you enough for all you've done for me, for us…" she said to her friend.

Andy smiled and hugged Olivia back. "You already have…I'm just glad that I can be a part of all of this," she said truthfully.

Olivia looked at her watch. "I've got to be going," she said as she stood up. "Elliot and I are having lunch with his parents, and they should be at the hotel by now. Thanks for watching the girls and helping bring the stuff out to the house," she told them as she hugged each of them. "I've got to go, I'll see you all at brunch tomorrow," she said as she picked up her purse and hurried out of the door.

30 Minutes Later 

**The Ritz Carlton**

Elliot and his parents were waiting out in the lobby of the hotel for Olivia to come and meet them for lunch. His parents hadn't met Olivia yet, but they had heard a lot about her. And they had their opinions as well.

"Mom, Dad," Elliot addressed them. "I know you aren't happy that Kathy and I divorced…and I know you aren't happy that I'm going against the rules of the church. But Olivia and I have talked to the priest…and they have reviewed our 'case,' and because of the extenuating circumstances, the church has not 'ex-communicated me.' Olivia and I love each other very much, and the kids love her too. She's a good person…and I love her…so please, be nice," he told them. As he turned around and looked out of the front doors, he saw Olivia getting out of the cab.

He rushed outside and helped her out of the cab. Olivia beamed at him and took his hands as they walked up the steps of the hotel. Before they entered, Olivia turned and put her arms around Elliot's neck, pulling him in for a hug. Elliot squeezed her tightly, and then pulled back and kissed her lips softly. "I love you," he told her.

Olivia smiled. "I love you too," she told him.

"Are you ready?" Elliot asked her, referring to meeting his parents.

"As ready as I'll ever be," Olivia said, taking Elliot's hand as she prepared to meet them.

Elliot's father and mother watched the whole scene intently, and looked at each other. It was very obvious that Elliot and Olivia loved each other very much. They had never seen their son so happy and full of life. They had never seen their son so in love with someone.

Elliot and Olivia walked up to his parents, and Elliot began to introduce them to each other. "Mom, Dad, this is Olivia. Olivia, this is my Mom and Dad," he said.

Olivia smiled, and stuck her hand out to Elliot's father. "It's very nice to meet you sir," she said respectfully.

Elliot's father shook her hand. "Please, call me Richard," he said affectionately.

"Thank you," Olivia told him, meaning it. Then she shook his mothers' hand. "It's very nice to meet you too, Mrs. Stabler," she said as she tried not to look nervous.

Elliot's mother smiled. "Oh please, don't make me feel old. Call me Elizabeth. I'm so pleased to finally meet you," she told Olivia as she took her arm and guided her into the dining room where they were to be eating. "I've heard so much about you."

Elliot and his father followed the women into the dining room and they sat down at a table.

Elliot pulled out Olivia's chair for her, and she smiled up at him. He sat down next to her, and they held hands on the table. "Lizzie and Dickie were named for their grandparents," Elliot informed Olivia.

"Oh, that's so nice!" Olivia exclaimed.

The waiter brought an appetizer out, and Olivia pushed the plate away from her, looking a bit pale.

"Are you alright?" Elliot asked her worriedly.

Olivia smiled weakly and nodded. "I'm fine…they're just not agreeing with my choice of food today," she joked.

Elliot nodded knowingly and patted her hand affectionately.

"Who's not agreeing?" Elliot's mother asked inquisitively.

Olivia looked at Elliot. They hadn't yet told his parents that Olivia was pregnant. Elliot cleared his throat. "Mom, Dad, Olivia's pregnant," he said.

His parents looked at each other, and then back at the nervous couple.

"Well…" his mother said frowning.

"Well I think that it's wonderful!" Elliot's father said nicely.

Elliot smiled at his father gratefully. "She's due in early February…we're having twins," he added.

"Two!" Elizabeth Stabler exclaimed, not quite happy with the idea.

Olivia nodded. "We're having twins. And we're very excited. I can't wait to be a mother for the first time!" She added happily, trying to lighten the mood.

"Well don't forget the other four children that you're going to have to be a mother to," Elizabeth pointed out almost icily.

"Mom…" Elliot warned.

Olivia smiled at Elliot. "It's alright honey. Mrs. Stabler, you won't have to worry about that. I already love your grandchildren very much, and I'm going to take good care of them. However, Kathy is their biological mother. And even though she may be in jail, and they don't live with her, she is still their mother. I'm not going to have them call me anything other than Olivia, unless they decide otherwise on their own. I love those children more than anything, and I won't treat them any differently than I will these two," she said as she patted her stomach.

Elizabeth Stabler sat there looking very taken aback. Olivia had just put her in her place…and she was too dumbfounded to say anything. No one had ever done that to Elizabeth Stabler. No one.

Elliot smiled and kissed her hand. "Are you feeling alright honey?" He asked her, changing the subject.

Olivia smiled at his concern. "Actually, I am a bit tired," she told him honestly. "Pregnancy wears you out," she said with a laugh.

"Well why don't we go back to the apartment so you can rest. We don't want you tired tonight. We've got the rehearsal and the dinner," he reminded her.

Olivia smiled and stood up. "It was very nice to meet you," she said to Elliot's parents as she took Elliot's hand. "I'll see you at the rehearsal," she said cheerfully as she and Elliot left the restaurant. Once they were out of his parents' site, Olivia sighed and rested her head on Elliot's shoulder. "I don't think that went very well," Olivia said sadly.

Elliot smiled weakly, but pulled Olivia in for a hug. "My dad liked you," he said trying to help.

Olivia looked up at him and smiled. She kissed his lips gently and squeezed his hands. "Thank you," she said softly.

"For what?" Elliot asked as he helped her into his car.

"For loving me," Olivia said. "Even if your parents don't approve…you're standing by my. And I love you."

Elliot got in the car and turned towards her. He took her hands in his and looked in her eyes. "I will always love you, no matter what anyone else thinks," he told her honestly.

Olivia smiled and kissed him. "Let's go home, okay? I think we could both use a nap!"

Elliot laughed. "I think you're right!"

30 Minutes Later 

**Elliot and Olivia's Apartment**

Alex and Andy had left, taking the girls with them. Olivia and Elliot stood in their almost empty apartment. All that was left was a mattress and a few boxes. Olivia lay down on the mattress, and Elliot curled his body around hers.

"It's our last day here," she said almost sadly.

"Yeah…it is," Elliot said sleepily.

"It's kinda sad," Olivia said, turning to face Elliot.

"Why do you say that?" Elliot asked.

"There are so many memories here…our first memories," Olivia said emotionally. "This was where we had our first date…that spaghetti dinner. And this was where the twins were conceived. This was where we spent the night together for the first time…the only time so far," she reminded him.

Elliot smiled. "I remember all of those times. But don't worry. We'll make new memories. Starting with the ceremony tomorrow. And I know we've only been together once…but I promise…tomorrow night will be worth the wait," he told her with a smile.

Olivia wrapped her arms around Elliot. "I know…after exactly six years…you'd think I'd have patience," she said laughing.

"What do you mean exactly?" Elliot questioned her.

Olivia scoffed. "You've forgotten. Tomorrow's our anniversary," she told him smiling.

"Anniversary of what?" Elliot asked, thoroughly confused.

"The anniversary of the first day we met," Olivia said. "Which is why I wanted August first to be our wedding day. It was the first day I saw you. And I've wanted you ever since," she teased him.

Elliot kissed her soundly. "Well don't worry. You've got me now babe, and I'm not going anywhere. Get some rest," he told her as he wrapped his arm around her.

Olivia smiled and closed her eyes. "Mkay," she said sleepily. "Love you El."

"Love you too Liv," Elliot said before he fell asleep with Olivia in his arms.


	21. The Rehearsal

4 O'clock That Afternoon 

**Elliot and Olivia's Apartment**

Olivia yawned and rolled ver. She found herself staring into twinkling blue eyes. She smiled and ran her hand softly down Elliot's cheek.

"Hey," she said softly, "Have you been up long?"

Elliot shook his head. "Maybe about 10 minutes. Not that long. The twins and I were just having a little chat," he told her as he ran his hands through her silky hair.

"Oh? And what were you discussing?" Olivia inquired as she watched Elliot lovingly.

"I was just telling them that they need to stop making you sick. And I told them about our family…just stuff like that," Elliot said nuzzling Olivia's neck.

Olivia shivered and moved closer to Elliot. "Oh? And what did they say?"

"They said that they would see what they could do about the sickness…" Elliot told her with a laugh.

"Well that's good! Because I don't know how much more I can take," Olivia told him as she laughed.

"Don't worry. Morning sickness usually goes away after the first trimester. Which is about where you are. So you can't have much more…" Elliot told her.

"Good… I wonder if they're going to be boys or girls…or one of both," Olivia thought out loud as she rested her head against Elliot's shoulder.

"I don't know. I'm sure Dickie would like more boys to play with. But I'd be happy with either," Elliot said honestly.

"Yeah. It doesn't really matter to me either. If these two are boys, I'd like to have another girl…and if these two are girls, I'd like to have another boy…just because," Olivia shrugged.

Elliot laughed and kissed her forehead. "Well we've got plenty of time to worry about that."

"Yeah. Just think. In six months, if they are on time, the babies will be here," Olivia said. "It seems so soon, but then it seems so far away. I can't wait to see them," Olivia said.

"Those hormones are really kicking in, aren't they Liv?" Elliot joked. "You're so motherly now…you're still tough of course…but I kind of like this maternal side of you," Elliot said kissing her on the lips.

Olivia smacked him playfully. "I can't help it. You try being pregnant. I'm sure you'd fail miserably," she told him with a teasing glare.

"I'm sure I would," Elliot said as he ran his hands down her body and looked deep into her eyes.

Olivia smiled seductively at Elliot as his lips captured hers. He moved to cover her body with his, and ran his hands through her hair. She ran her tongue over his lips, and ran her hands gently along his back. Elliot placed kisses along her jaw and down to her neck. He suckled gently on a soft patch of skin beneath Olivia's earlobe. Olivia began so moan softly and closed her eyes. "Elliot," she moaned softly.

Elliot sighed and lifted his head up. "We've got to stop…this is what got us here in the first place," he told her as he ran his hands along her stomach.

Olivia smiled and nodded. "We'll just have to wait until tomorrow night," she teased him.

Elliot stood up and smiled. "I'm going to go take a shower and get ready. It won't take me long, but at least you can rest a little bit longer. I'll wake you when I'm done," he said as he placed a kiss on her forehead and walked into the bathroom humming.

Olivia smiled as she rested her hands on her belly. "Hello babies," she whispered to the twins in her stomach. "I'm your mommy. I'm getting married tomorrow," she told them, "I'm getting married to the most wonderful man in the world, your daddy. I can't wait. I'm so very lucky. We love you very much," she said as she smiled and closed her eyes.

One Hour Later 

**St. Patrick's Cathedral**

It was time to begin the wedding rehearsal. Olivia was standing in the narthex of the church with her bridesmaids and Cragen. She was holding the customary bouquet of bows and ribbons. The orchestra began to play a few bars of Canon in D, and Lizzie walked down the aisle, followed by Kathleen, Maureen, Andy, and finally Alex. Then the organist joined the orchestra, signaling for Olivia to walk do the aisle. She didn't want to spoil tomorrow, so she and Cragen hurried down the aisle, joking as they went. The priest ran threw the ceremony, telling them what they would have to do. When they were done, Elliot and Olivia left the cathedral hand in hand. They took their own car to the restaurant for the rehearsal dinner.

"You look beautiful," Elliot told Olivia as they sat at a stoplight.

Olivia blushed lightly. "Thank you," she said. "You don't look half bad yourself," she said as she ran her hand down his arm and clasped his hand. Her stomach rumbled.

"Hungry?" Elliot teased as he parked the car. He walked around and opened the door for Olivia.

"Just a bit. I just hope that the twins will let me eat and not decide to play soccer with my digestive track," she told him.

Elliot pretended to grimace. "Such a lovely description," he told her.

Olivia laughed and took his hand. "Well, let's go," she said, pulling him into the restaurant.

The evening was a success. Everyone had a great time, eating, drinking, and talking. Once the plates were taken away, Elliot stood up, and tapped his fork on his glass playfully. "Can I have your attention please?" He shouted across the room.

Everyone laughed and quieted down. Elliot began to speak. "We're not going to have any speeches tonight," he told them, "We're saving them all for the ceremony and the reception tomorrow. Although, Olivia and I do have a few small gifts that we would like to give out. So I guess I'll go first," he said. "And well, I guess I lied earlier, I'll make a small speech to thank a few people." He handed Fin, Munch, and Cragen a small box each. "You guys are hard to buy for," he told them jokingly. "Olivia and I just wanted to thank you guys for having our backs. We're not always the easiest people to work with, so thanks for putting up with us. These past six years have been the best, and so you guys are like family to us. So, we got you these," he said.

The three men opened their boxes to find new black leather badge covers. On the front, each of their last names were engraved into the leather. On the inside, the inscription read, "A proud member of Special Victims Unit, and the family at the 1-6 precinct."

Munch chuckled as he read it. "We're one strange family," he said.

Fin rolled his eyes at him. "How can we not be? We've got you," he teased.

The men took out their badges and changed the covers. Elliot handed Olivia hers, and they both did the same. The five of them got together so that Maureen could take a picture of the strange, yet great family of the 1-6. The three men and Olivia sat back down.

"I'm not done yet," Elliot said. "I've got two more to go. This next gift is for my dad. I know he hasn't always been happy with my decisions or my actions, but he's always stood by me," Elliot said as he handed his dad a box. "So dad, this is for you."

His father smiled at Elliot as he opened his present. It was an older black and white photograph of Elliot and his father playing baseball when Elliot was a boy. Elliot's father teared up a bit, and pulled Elliot in for a hug. "I'm proud of you son," he whispered to Elliot.

"Thanks Dad," Elliot said. "Thanks." He walked back to his seat and picked up his final present. "This last one goes to my son, Dickie. He's such a great kid, the best son a man could ask for. He's mature, smart, and loving. So this is for him," he said as he handed his son a box.

Dickie opened it excitedly and smiled when he saw what it was. "Wow! You're old baseball glove. Thanks Dad! You're the best!" He said as he gave his dad a hug. "Maybe if one of the babies is a boy, we can teach it how to play," Dickie suggested. Elliot smiled. "I'd like that son," he said happily.

Olivia stood up. "Well, it's my turn now," she said. "This first gift goes out to another special man in my life. I've only known his for what, six years, but he means the world to me. I don't know what I'd do without him," she said. "So Cragen, this is for you," she said as she handed him a gift bag.

Cragen opened the bag to find a picture frame with a picture of him presenting Olivia with her badge six years ago. The silver frame had two words inscribed in it, 'Thanks Dad.' Cragen smiled and his eyes watered. Olivia gave him a bug hug. "Thanks Dad," she said to him.

"You're welcome," he whispered back.

Olivia walked back to the head of the table. "And these go to the five women in my bridal party. Each of them are special in their own way, so I had to get them each something different, but still similar. So I'll keep this short. Thanks guys, for loving me and helping me out. You're the best," she said as she passed out six inch long skinny boxes.

"Ooh," commented Alex. "It's from Tiffany's!"

Olivia laughed and watched them open their gifts. Each woman, or girl in Lizzie's case, held up a silver charm bracelet with three silver charms on it. One charm was their initial, one was a heart with an "EO" and their wedding date inscribed on it, and the other charm was unique for each person. Lizzie's had a horse on it, Kathleen's had a graduation cap on it, Maureen's had an apple on it, Alex's had a tiny pair of handcuffs on it, and Andy's had a medical symbol. The women compared bracelets and admired them as they helped each other put them on.

"Well that's it!" Olivia said. "I hope you guys had a good time tonight, but some of us have to get some beauty sleep tonight. Thanks for being here, and we'll see you tomorrow!" She said as she, Elliot, and their family left the restaurant.

Maureen, Kathleen and Lizzie waited in Olivia's car while Dickie waited in Elliot's. The couple kissed each other slowly a few times before exchanging goodbyes. "I'll see you tomorrow," Olivia told Elliot.

"But not until you're walking down the aisle," Elliot reminded her.

Olivia smiled. "I love you, and I can't wait to marry you," she told him.

"I know," Elliot said. "I feel the same way. I've been waiting all my life for you…I love you," he said as they kissed one last time before parting.

Olivia drove the girls back to Maureen's apartment where she spent the night.


End file.
